The recent art from China on exhibit in The Big World at the Chicago Cultural Center is, generally speaking, big. Most of the canvasses and sculptural pieces are larger than human scale and predominated by jarring colours and aggressive brush strokes.
All looked very modern which is to clumsily say, none looked oriental. No vertical storylines or mountain cliffs and water symbolism, or overly ubiquitous Chinese characters.
Wang Qinsong's jab at the Olympic Games (The Glory of Hope), shown above, is cool and provocative whereas Zhou Tao's three and-a-half minute video (1,2,3,4) of various legions of natives counting up to four in unison is downright annoying---and loud. I kept thinking---hoping---they might break in to song or converge to form an image but, no, just the continuous, eerily monotonous counting.
Showing through August 30th. Free admission
Chicago Cultural Center
78 East Washington, Chicago
312.744.6630
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