2024/12/10～2025/2/23
The exhibition “Winter Pollination (Geographies of Influence – Art from China to Italy)” explores trajectories of ideas via Chinese and Italian artists’ approaches to the historical and contemporary identity of China.
The exhibition title “Winter Pollination” refers to the duration of the show literally extending into the coldest months of the year and, figuratively, sponsors bringing culture from one place to another and back again, cross-fertilizing the terrain of ideas, when the winter of political rivalry is still in the dark.
Casa Regis – Center for Culture and Contemporary Art, situated in the foothills of Italy’s Alps, proudly presents six Chinese and two Italian artists, ranging in mediums from photography, to watercolors to ceramics. Yiwei Lu of Yiwei Gallery, with venues in USA and China, is lead curator of this multi-national exhibition, hosting artists Barbara Aloisio, Michela Cavagna, Teng Jingyi, Yan Jinsong, Chen Shangping, Jin Ting, Ye Wenlong, and Zheng Xiaolin.
These Chinese artists were chosen not only for their artistic achievements, but also for their deep identification with their homeland and their active engagement with global issues; the two Italian artists, on the other hand, were selected because their practices have been profoundly influenced by China.
Exhibited Works by Chen Shangping
The tradition of ink-wash landscape painting in China has reigned supreme for centuries, profoundly influencing countless traditional and contemporary artists. This aesthetic system has also quickly adapted to today’s creative tools—artist Chen Shangping, for instance, responds to the sublime beauty of nature through the language of black-and-white photography. Hailing from Taiwan, Shangping regards China as a majestic and grand presence, having traveled extensively to witness its spectacular cloud formations and snow-capped peaks.
This exhibition hopes to render relevant – through the highest of artistic achievement, with many of these artists having been awarded the highest of artistic recognition in China – the voices of artists who critically contemplate or give homage to the complexity of this vast historic nation, whether they be working from within or who are passing through. In addition, it is our goal to keep open all paths of cross-national communication, keeping in perspective the role of the individual in a larger scheme of geo-political needs.
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Casa Regis – Center for Culture and Contemporary Art is a non-profit dedicated to showcasing the Piedmontese mountain town’s heritage and connecting this culturally rich region to Italy and the world through artist residencies and exchanges.
© SHANG PING PHOTOGRAPHY