EAST MEETS WEST

In Mandarin, the character 砰 (pēng) is the equivalent of the French onomatopoeia ‘bing!’: which evokes a sound of shock, of clash, and signifies a rupture, a sudden event that modifies reality. What better way to celebrate the earth than to reveal the artistic possibilities of its raw materials? “BING! BING! 砰砰! Contemporary Ceramics” confronts the aesthetic languages and cultural meanings linked the traditional art of ceramics. The artists break free from ceramics conventions and show it in a novel way, playing with words, tones or matters - sometimes with humour. A one-of-a-kind encounter between prominent figures in contemporary ceramics and artists of the younger generation.

In partnership with Pace Gallery. Special thanks: Cité de la céramique.

LIU JIANHUA

Liu Jianhua is one of the most renowned Chinese artists of his generation. His sculptures and installations mix porcelain, found objects, detritus and various materials, developing an experimental practice of ceramics and a philosophical approach to shapes and materials. As a contemporary artist, Liu questions the culture and material history of China in the context of globalisation.

EMMANUEL BOOS

Considered one of the best French ceramicists, emmanuel boos has been practicing this art since the age of 14. Citizen of the World, emmanuel boos lived in Korea, China, France and England before settling his studio down in Germany in 2015. His current work favours closed shapes, falsely full, being both surface and volume: cobblestones, cubes, boxes or books, all mysterious and abstract. The artist seeks the unexpected, those happy accidents that make the beauty of imperfection.

GENG XUE

Geng Xue is a Chinese multimedia artist who confronts the traditional art of ceramics with contemporary forms (video, animation, installation). Inspired by Buddhist cosmology, classical literature, and Taoism and Western aesthetic traditions, Geng Xue believes ceramics belong in a magical world where the line between the physical and spiritual world is blurred.

ZHUO QI

Qi Zhuo is a Chinese former graduate of Mans’ Beaux-Arts (France), Geneva’s Haute École d’Art et de Design, and Limoges’ École Nationale Supérieure d’Art (France). He works and lives in France since 2008. Qi Zhuo’s artistic approach is based on the notion of culture shock. He fuels his artistic practice from the daily experience of the semantic and linguistic miracles generated by a long history of cultural gaps and misunderstandings. Through ceramics and a certain sense of humour, he confronts the traditions and craftsmanship that a globalised world brings together, without any transition or translation.

LOUISE FRYDMAN

Located in Burgundy, France, since 2015, Louise Frydman turned to ceramics after having began her career by composing light and delicate artwork using white paper. In her ceramics treatment, she retains the white mat aesthetic of paper as well as the finesse of her favoured material. ‘I seek the encounter between strength and fragility, as I shape my sculptures in an ethereal way, yet they are powerful thanks to their monumental dimensions. Through a petal, a tree, the wind... I try to show my emotions’.

DOORS

Created in 2017 by Bérénice Angremy and Victoria Jonathan, Doors 门艺 is a production and promotion agency for artistic projects based in Beijing and Paris. The agency aims at opening doors and fostering cultural exchanges between China and Europe through creative, innovative and unifying events. It collaborates with artists, institutions (Picasso Museum, UCCA, Giacometti Foundation, Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation) and brands (Hennessy, Lafite, Cartier). In 2021, Doors organises the exhibition “KAIWU. Art and Design in China” at the Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse in Lille (France).

Bérénice Angremy and Victoria Jonathan, graduates from the École du Louvre (Paris) and Columbia University (New York) respectively, and have been living in between Paris and Beijing for twenty years. They directed the Jimei x Arles festival (2017-2019), created in China by ‘Les Rencontres d’Arles’ and the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre. They curated several exhibitions on Chinese art and photography such as “The Stars. Pioneers of contemporary art in China” (Paris, 2019), “Flowing Water Never Return to the Source. Photographers Gazing at the River in China” (Abbaye de Jumièges, 2020), “Feng Li. White Night in Paris” (Photo Saint Germain, 2021), “Luo Yang. Youth” (Jimei x Arles, 2019), “Lei Lei. Romance in Lushan Cinema“ (Les Rencontres d’Arles and Jimei x Arles, 2019). In 2019, Gabrielle Petiau, former graduate of the Beaux- Arts de Nantes and former student of the Central Academy of Fine Arts of China (CAFA), joined the Doors team. She is co-director at the Biennale de l’Image Tangible.