Michael Lin
dal 13/4/2011 al 27/5/2011
Segnalato da
13/4/2011
Michael Lin
Nogueras Blanchard, Barcelona
In Between the Lines, Lin transforms the gallery into a place that recalls a domestic environment. A vivid floral motif covers a large part of the walls and provides a colourful background for a series of paintings from his work in progress, '100 paintings'. The center of the gallery is occupied by a large wooden platform in the shape of a daybed, where one is invited to sit, rest, sleep etc.
NoguerasBlanchard is delighted to present the third exhibition in the gallery of Michael Lin (Tokyo, 1964). For Between the Lines the artist conceives the work as being part of the physical space, rather than an object of contemplation within it. Lin's installations frequently involve an architectural process, reconfiguring public spaces and intervening pre-existing architectural structures. This sometimes leads to close collaborations with architects to design new spaces, such as the recently inaugurated "Hotel MARCO", an initiative organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Vigo where Lin transformed the museum's annex space into a hotel room.
In Between the Lines, Lin transforms the gallery into a place that recalls a domestic environment. A vivid floral motif covers a large part of the walls and provides a colourful background for a series of paintings from his work in progress, "100 paintings". The center of the gallery is occupied by a large wooden platform in the shape of a daybed, where one is invited to sit, rest, sleep etc. As observed by Hou Hanru: "Although he is far from being a social-politcal activist, Lin has been negotiating the conflict between artistic integrity and the power of the established system by implementing deconstructive strategies. His exhibitions have included installing a coffee shop, a bar or a skateboard ramp, encpouraging the public to carry out actions that are often cosidered irrelevent or inappropiate in the sacred space of the art institution".
This exhibition emphasizes the social dimension of Michael Lin's work as well as his commitment to the medium of painting. A formal development in Lin's recent paintings draws our attention to the line where two or more layers of fabric are held together. These seams divide the pattern into different planes, and are used to set up the tension between the surface of the painting and the architectural surroundings, revealing the shifting categories present throughout Lin work. As we see in "100 paintings" Lin´s interest in the concept of seriality and his use of traditional Taiwanese textile patterns references the industrial production of textiles as well as traditional decorative arts, situating his discourse between the most classical tradition and modernity. Lin uses these designs for their familiarity and sensuality as well as their strong mythical, symbolic or iconographic connotations and through them, he invites us to question the limits between the domestic and public realms, between popular and high culture and between art and craft.
Michael Lin's recent solo exhibitions include: Hotel MARCO. A Project by Michael Lin & RVR Arquitectos, Museum of Contemporary Art, Vigo (2011); Towada Art Centre, Aomori, Japan (2011); Pecci Museum, Prato, Italy (2010); Michael Lin: A Modest Veil, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver (2010). Recent group exhibitions include: Memories of the Future, Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea (2010); Programmation Jeune Public 2010, Centre Pompidou-Metz, France (2010); Popping up, Hong Kong Arts Center, Hong Kong, China (2010); Fukuoka Triennale, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan (2009); What a Difference a Day Made, 10 Biennale de Lyon, France (2010).
Lin currently lives betwen Brussels and Shanghai.
For further information, contact Zaida Trallero on +34 93 342 5721 or zaida@noguerasblanchard.com
Opening 14 April '11, 7pm
NoguerasBlanchard
Xuclà 7 · 08001 Barcelona