Zhongjian: Midway

The exhibition Zhongjian: Midway, curated by Chinese artist and curator Jin Sha, brings together fifteen of China and Australia’s most significant contemporary artists: Jin Sha, Liu Qinghe, Lü Peng, Yang Xifa, Zhang Qing, AhXian (Wollongong City Gallery only), Guan Wei, Guo Jian, Liu Xiao Xian, Shen Shaomin, Julie Bartholomew, Lionel Bawden, Kate Beynon, Sally Smart and Laurens Tan. Five are Chinese nationals living and working in China, five are Chinese-born artists living and working in Australia, and five identify themselves as Australian artists whose work has been closely informed by Chinese culture.

Following its tour of four major centres in China - Beijing, Tianjin, Xiamen, Shanghai - the exhibition will tour to fourteen Australian regional venues, commencing at Wollongong City Gallery in October 2009. The artists represented in this exhibition explore the impacts of globalisation on cultural life and identity, investigating issues such as the clash between ethnic minority cultural traditions and contemporary civilization, the dying-out of minority languages brought about by the global mass media, and the convergence and divergence of
Eastern and Western cultures. Australia’s proximity to and relationship with Asia has a major impact on our economy, politics and culture. In recent years, the economic and cultural powerhouse of China has been a potent force helping to reshape Australia’s evolving global identity. The strength of this influence can be seen in the keen interest in contemporary Chinese art and culture within the Australian art world. Led by a growing number of expatriate Chinese artists who investigate notions of traditions, globalisation and identity in their work, these artists have developed a creative and unique voice within the contemporary Australian art scene. Similarly in China, that country’s relatively new associations with other nations have promoted an extraordinary rich and lively investigation by contemporary Chinese artists of the diverse experiences, influences and art styles on offer from those cultures.

In recent years, because of their common economic interests and needs arising from the development of
globalisation, the relationship between China and Australia has never been so important. At the same time the cultural and artistic exchanges and contacts between the two countries have also played increasingly important roles. Exhibitions such as this one are building bridges to improve mutual understanding and communication between citizens from each country.


Zhongjian: Midway - touring from the Wollongong City Gallery opens Wednesday 19th January and continues until 13th March 2011.