Chen Wei

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BIOGRAPHY | SELECTED WORKS | RECENT EXHIBITIONS | SELECTED PRESS
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BIOGRAPHY

Chen Wei (b. 1980 Zhejiang, China) is known for his photographs of carefully handcrafted objects and architectures, composed to a meticulously staged mise-en-scène that blurs the boundaries between realities and cinema, landscapes and dreamscapes. Influenced by the 20th century’s cinematically staged photography, Chen introduces a layer of simplicistic theatric stage design and painterly sensibility to his photographic repertoire. Chen Wei has exhibited extensively and internationally at numerous prestigious institutions and biennales.

Upcoming and recent exhibitions include: “The Club”,  Horsham Regional Art Gallery, Horsham, Australia, 2017; ”A New Ballardian Vision”, Metro Pictures, New York, USA, 2017; “The Club”, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, Australia; “Please fasten your seat belt as we are experiencing some turbulence”, Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai, China, 2017; “Noon Club”, curated by Francesco Bonami, JNBY Foundation, Hangzhou, China, 2016; “The Work in Progress, Photography from China in 2015″, Museum Folkwang, Essen, 2015; “Performance and Imagination: Chinese Photography 1911–2014”, Stavanger Art Museum, Stavanger, 2014; “My Generation: Young Chinese Artists”, Orange County Museum of Art, CA, 2015; Tampa Museum of Art, FL and Oklahoma City Museum of Art, OK, both in 2014; “ON | OFF: China’s Young Artists in Concept and Practice”, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, 2012; “28 Chinese”, San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio and Asian Art Museum, San Francisco in 2015, Rubell Family Collection/ Contemporary Arts Foundation, Miami, FL, in 2013, among others. In 2011, Chen Wei was awarded the 1st Asia Pacific Photography Prize, and was shortlisted for the Prudential Eye Awards in 2015.Chen Wei lives and works in Beijing, China.

Download the complete artist biography

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SELECTED WORKS

CHEN WEI, "Volleyballs", 2013, Archival Inkjet Print, 150 x 187.5 cm

CHEN WEI, "Ping Pong", 2011, Archival inkjet print, Regular format 100 x 130 cm

CHEN WEI, "Tower", 2013, Archival Inkjet Print, 150 x 187.5cm

CHEN WEI, "Dance Hall (Blueness)", 2013, C-print, 150 x 187.5 cm

CHEN WEI, "In the Waves #5", 2013, Archival inkjet print, 150 x 187.5 cm

Creative Fusion: Exploring Art Exhibitions in the Heart of Australian Casinos

G’day, culture enthusiasts and gaming aficionados! In a fascinating blend of entertainment and artistic expression, Australian casinos have transformed into unexpected havens for captivating art exhibitions. Join me on a journey that unveils the mesmerizing world where the thrill of gaming intersects with the allure of fine art.

1. A New Dimension of Entertainment

Australian casinos have transcended their traditional roles, becoming cultural hubs that offer more than just gaming. Art exhibitions bring an additional layer of enrichment to the casino experience, captivating both seasoned players and art aficionados.

2. Showcasing Diversity

Art exhibitions within casinos boast an eclectic range of styles, from contemporary to traditional, indigenous to international. This diversity of artistic expression mirrors the diverse crowd that casinos attract, creating a harmonious meeting ground for cultures and perspectives.

3. Elevating Aesthetics

The marriage of art and casino spaces elevates the overall aesthetics, turning gaming floors into dynamic galleries. Striking sculptures, vibrant paintings, and thought-provoking installations transform the environment, enveloping visitors in a visual feast.

4. A Curated Experience

Art exhibitions within casinos often feature curated collections that tie into themes or narratives. This enhances the overall experience for visitors, adding a layer of depth and context to the artworks on display.

5. An Enriching Escape

For casino-goers seeking a momentary escape from the gaming rush, art exhibitions provide a tranquil oasis. It’s a space where contemplation, reflection, and appreciation of art blend seamlessly with the thrill of the casino.

6. Bridging Communities

The convergence of gaming and art brings together two seemingly disparate communities – those who relish in the excitement of gambling and those who appreciate the beauty of creativity. It’s a bridge that fosters connections and encourages cross-cultural dialogue.

So, whether you’re drawn to the spin of the roulette wheel or the stroke of a paintbrush, Australian casinos have crafted an extraordinary fusion of entertainment and culture. The juxtaposition of gaming tables and art installations creates an enchanting tapestry where chance encounters and artistic marvels intertwine, inviting you to immerse yourself in a world that defies convention.

CHEN WEI, "Disco #1001", 2015, Archival inkjet print, 75 x 60 cm

CHEN WEI, "The Last Man", 2015 , Archival inkjet print, 125 x 100 cm

CHEN WEI, "A chair and four 100 watt bulbs

CHEN WEI, "New Stairs", 2015, Archival inkjet print, 120 x 150 cm

CHEN WEI, "A Lighthouse Was Winking in the Far Distance", 2010, C-print, 100 x 120 cm

CHEN WEI, "The Stars in the Night Sky Are Innumerable", 2010, C-print, 100 x 130 cm

CHEN WEI, "House of Recovery", 2008, C-print, 150 x 170 cm

CHEN WEI, "Everlasting Radio Wave", 2008, C-print, 150 x 150 cm

CHEN WEI, "Records Hypnosis", 2007, Archival inkjet print, 125 x 185 cm

CHEN WEI, "The Augur's Game No1", 2007, Archival inkjet print, 60 x 60 cm

CHEN WEI, "The Drunken Boat (Shanghai)", 2015 , Acrylic panels, LED screens, mirrors, reinforced glass, silicone mask, fluorescent tube Dimension variable

 

For more works and projects by the artist, download the portfolio in pdf.

For details of Chen Wei’s dance/club series, download the pdf profile.

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RECENT SOLO EXHIBITIONS

“The Club”,  Horsham Regional Art Gallery, Horsham, Australia, 2017
“The Club”, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, Australia, 2017
“Noon Club”, curated by Francesco Bonami, JNBY Foundation, Hangzhou, China, 2016
“The Last Man”, Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai, China, 2015
“Night Paris”, Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo, Japan, 2015
“Noon Insomnia”, Ota Fine Arts, Singapore, 2015
“In the Waves”, Chi K11 Art Museum, Shanghai, China, 2015
“Yesterday Shop”, Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich, Germany, 2015

RECENT GROUP EXHIBITIONS

“A New Ballardian Vision”, Metro Pictures, New York, USA, 2017
“Please fasten your seat belt as we are experiencing some turbulence.” Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai, China, 2017
“MIC / MAC”, A2Z Art Gallery, Paris, France, 2016
“China: Grain to Pixel”, Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne, Australia, 2016
“Turning Point: Contemporary Art in China Since 2000″, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China, 2016
“Wechat: A Dialogue in Contemporary Chinese Art”, Contemporary Chinese Art, Texas, USA, 2016
“The Mud of Compound Experience”, Mother’s Tankstation & Leo Xu Projects, Hong Kong, 2016
“The Work in Progress, Photography from China in 2015″, Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany, 2015
“Grain to Pixel: A Story of Photography in China”, Shanghai Center of Photography, Shanghai, China, 2015
“28 Chinese”, San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; Rubell Family Collection, Miami, USA, 2015
“My Generation: Young Chinese Artists”, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma; Tampa Museum of Art & Museum of Fine Arts, Florida, USA, 2014; Orange County Museum of Art, California, USA, 2015
“Paradise B!tch”, White Rabbit Gallery, Sydney, Australia, 2015
“The System of Objects”, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China, 2015
“The Work in Progress, Photography from China in 2015″, Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany, 2015
“Performance and Imagination: Chinese Photography 1911-2014″, Stavanger Art Museum, Norway, 2014 [exhibition page]
“Silence: the 1990s”, Balice Hertling Gallery, Paris, France, 2014 [exhibition page]

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SELECTED PRESS

Ideat, “A guess about Muse”, by Lu Lu, Issue 25, May, 2017 [download pdf]
VICE, “Chen Wei’s Images Reveal the Mysteries of Chinese Club Culture”, by Nadja Sayej, March 28, 2017 [download pdf]
VICE, “Chen Wei Recreates China’s Neon-Lit 90s Clubs”, by Start Brumfitt, March 23, 2017 [download pdf]
Hunger, “Artist Chen Wei’s abstract photographs explore the experience of Nightclubbing in China”, Mar.17 2017 [download pdf]
Flash Art, “Noon Club”, by Chen Wei, November/December, 2016 [download pdf]
Artfourm, “Chen Wei: Noon Club”, by Diao Zhuo, April, 2016 [download pdf]
Kaleidoscope, “The Nostaigic Revolution of Chen Wei” (cover story), interview by Mian Mian, Issue 3, Spring & Summer, March, 2016 [download pdf]
Numéro, “Fetishism – Unknown Pleasures”, by Chen Wei, March, 2016 [download pdf]
Leap, “Chen Wei: The Last Man”, translated by Connie Kang , Issue 160, January & February, 2016 [download pdf]
Ideat, “ID Album – The Last Man”, by Chen Wei, January, 2016 [download pdf]
Numéro, “Get Loose”, Issue 54, November, 2015 [download pdf]
Time Out Shanghai, “Review: The Last Man”, by NJ, Issue 72, December, 2015 [download pdf]
For Him Magazine, “The Last Man”, by Yu Lingyuan, Special Issue, Fall & Winter, 2015 [download pdf]
K11 Artoid, “Cinematheque”, Issue 7, 2015 [download pdf]
The Bund, “Mild Art Belonged To Petty Bourgeoisie And Middle Class”, by Han Jian, Issue 638, April, 2015 [download pdf]
The Bund, “Chen Wei: I Have Always Been Dealing With the Gap Between Ideality And Reality”, by Shen Yin, Issue 618, November, 2014 [download pdf]
Financial Time, “‘Other Postman’ (2007) by Chen Wei”, by Gurpreet Narwan, May, 2014 [download pdf]
The Guardian, “Chen Wei’s Best Photograph: A Chinese Nightclub Fantasy”, by Karin Andreasson, April, 2014 [download pdf]
Numéro, “Chen Wei – Selflessness”, by Tang Lingjie, November, 2013 [download pdf]
ART, “Vom Schwamm Befallen”, by Birgit Sonna, July, 2013 [download pdf]
Leap, “More”, by Sun Dongdong, October, 2012 [download pdf]

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Published on December 24, 2011 5:06 am.

news | CHENG RAN IN ESSENTIAL MATTERS – MOVING IMAGES FROM CHINA AT BORUSAN CONTEMPORARY ISTANBUL TURKEY

Essential Matters – Moving Images from China

April 4th through August 30th, 2015
Borusan Contemporary
Balta Limanı Hisar Cd. No:5, 34470 Sarıyer, Istanbul
Details »

Published on April 1, 2015 3:51 pm.

news | THE SYSTEM OF OBJECTS

THE SYSTEM OF OBJECTS

March 29th through June 28th, 2015
Minsheng Art Museum
F/570 West Huaihai Rd, Shanghai, China

Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum presents The System of Objects, a group show by Chinese contemporary artists. Featuring 44 artists whose practice varies from painting, sculpture, installation to video and animation, the exhibition shown on the ground floor of the museum will be open to public on March 29 and run through June 28, 2015. Details »

Published on March 29, 2015 4:03 pm.

offsite | THE TELL-TALE HEART

CHENG RAN, "Hit-or-miss-ist", 2013, sound installation

A group exhibition of artists aaajiao, Ian Cheng, Cheng Ran, Guo Hongwei, Koo Jeong A, Ken Okiishi, and Rirkrit Tiravanija

DATES & VENUE
March 13th through April 17th, 2015; hours: 9am-6pm
Chi Art Space, 8/F, New World Tower 2, 18 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong

OPENING RECEPTION & SPECIAL PERFORMANCE
Thursday, March 12th, 5-8pm, with a special performance by Rirkrit Tiravanija at 6-7pm.
The performance continues from March 13th through 15th, 1-2pm daily.

ARTISTS’ TALK
aaajiao, Cheng Ran, Koo Jeong A and Ken Okiishi with Para/Site executive director and curator Cosmin Costinas
Thursday, March 12th, 2015, 4pm
18/F, New World Tower 2, 18 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong
 
Details »

Published on March 29, 2015 3:32 pm.

past | WEI JIA: MILDLY BITING, ENCOUNTERING SPRING

WEI JIA, Light in the Cloud, 2014, Oil on canvas

April 24th through May 31st, 2015
Opening Reception: April 24th, 2015, 5-8pm 

The exhibition Mildly Biting, Encountering Spring takes its title from an eponymous small-scale oil painting Wei finished in early summer in 2014. Leaping from the darkness and gloominess of his previous images and the fine, vivid brushstrokes, the piece depicts two people reclining by the grassy lakeside and looking over the distant with a multitude of layers of lush green. The peacefulness and easiness in the work brim with the stillness of time and the curiosity for life. Just as implied by the title, a new shift in Wei’s painting style in the recent two years is accomplished by the emergence of immaturity, shyness and the air of spring in his work.
Details »

Published on March 29, 2015 1:00 pm.

past | CHEN WEI: IN THE WAVES

History of Enchantment (Cold Sculpture), 2014

Chi K11 Art Museum
B3, K11 Art Mall,
No.300 Huaihai Road Central, Shanghai

March 16th through May 31th, 2015

Published on March 28, 2015 3:00 pm.

past | CHENG RAN: MUSIC IS ON, BAND IS GONE

Chi K11 Art Museum
B3, K11 Art Mall,
No.300 Middle Huaihai Road, Shanghai

March 16th through May 31th, 2015

A Telephone Booth Romance, 2014

HIT-OR-MISS-IT, 2013

Published on March 28, 2015 2:57 pm.

past | ALIAS: AAAJIAO

January 16th through April 12th, 2015

Opening reception: Friday January 16th, 5-7pm.
 
“alias: aaajiao” marks the first solo exhibition with the gallery of the widely exhibited young Chinese media artist Xu Wenkai. Based in Shanghai and working under the vague and comical internet alias of aaajiao, the artist will be presenting a body of new and commissioned works, which measure the new dimension of high technology and media-based works, and address the issues derived from contemporary living with Internet and digital technology. The exhibition runs from January 16th through March 8th, 2015, with a series of events and presentations to take place on and off line. The artist will be present at the opening reception on Friday January 16th, 5-7pm.
 
Details »

Published on March 28, 2015 2:47 pm.

news | CHENG RAN IN READS LIKE A BOOK AT CRICOTEKA

Reads Like A Book

January 23rd through March 15th, 2015
CRICOTEKA
ul. Nadwiślańska 2-4, 30-527 Kraków, Poland

Once again Cricoteka presents multimedia and performative artistic strategies, this time focusing on literature. The Book Lovers exhibition strives to prove that literature, when treated by visual artists, can take place well beyond the space of the book. The Book Lovers project investigates the many ways in which artists conceive their novels as part of their art projects. For artists like Jill Magid, Cheng Ran, and Lindsay Seers the novel is not only a literary product of narrative fiction, but they also employ their novels as they would video or installation — as an aspect of a larger work or body of works.
Details »

Published on March 28, 2015 2:46 pm.

fair | ART BASEL HONG KONG 2015

ART BASEL HONG KONG, booth 3C16
Convention Centre, Hong Kong

March 13th through 17th, 2015

After two years’ participation in the Discoveries section, the gallery will be presenting its debut in the Galleries Section at Art Basel Hong Kong 2015. Located at booth 3C16, the presentation is a curated display that addresses new approaches to self-portrait within today’s context that omnipresent social media selfies have been transforming the way people looking at themselves and the way we anticipate and understand the vision. The booth will feature recent and commissioned new works by Li Qing, Liu Chuang, Cui Jie, Guo Hongwei, Cheng Ran, Chen Wei, a group of young Chinese artists highly representative of a generation that works across various media and disciplines.

Details »

Published on March 28, 2015 2:00 pm.

fair | MICHAEL LIN IN DESIGN SHANGHAI 2015

DESIGN SHANGHAI 2015
Shanghai Exhibition Centre
NO 1000, Middle Yan’an Rd
Jing’an, Shanghai

March 27th through 30th, 2015

In the booth of IDEAT magazine (Modern Media Group), Michael Lin will be presenting his installation “After Chandigarh (Architecture or revolution)”.

“After Chandigarh (Architecture or revolution)” is a direct reference to a historical period in the modernization of India, which has parallels to what is happening in China today. Modernity, not as a temporal marker but as the grand narrative of art and architecture developed in the west, is an unavoidable construct that must be confronted and questioned in the context of China in order to develop its own modern culture and art. As Amartya Sen, the Indian economist and philosopher, says, “Identity and cultural identity in particular cannot rest exclusively on what is our ‘own’, but requires an openness to, and mutual enrichment with what is foreign.”
Details »

Published on March 28, 2015 1:30 pm.

news | MICHAEL LIN: UNTITLED (CLOCKWISE)

Michael Lin, “Untitled (Clockwise).” Photograph by John McKinnon. Courtesy of SCAD.

SCAD Museum of Art
Savannah, GA
601 Turner Blvd.

February 17th through May 17th, 2015

The SCAD Museum of Art presents a new site-specific installation by acclaimed artist Michael Lin. Known for his large-scale painting interventions based on vibrantly patterned Taiwanese textiles, Lin’s practice has been hailed as a new approach to contemporary art and the museum through the creation of immersive and experiential environments. His installations challenge notions of art as object based, and skew expectations of the exhibition as an event. Lin expresses interest in relations —between himself as an artist to his environment, and between his work and the audience.

Details »

Published on March 28, 2015 12:30 pm.

news | CHEN WEI, LI QING, LIU CHUANG IN THE SYSTEM OF OBJECTS

Minsheng Art Museum
bldg F, NO.570 West Huaihai Road
Changning, Shanghai, China

March 29th through June 28th, 2015

Chief Curator: Ai Min
Academic Adviser: Wang Min’an

Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum is pleased to present The System of Objects, a group show by Chinese contemporary artists. Featuring 44 artists whose practice varies from painting, sculpture, installation to video and animation, the exhibition shown on the ground floor of the museum will be open to public on March 29 and run through June 28, 2015.
Details »

Published on March 28, 2015 11:34 am.

news | CHENG RAN IN SCREEN ON | NO SCREEN, STRP BIENNIAL

Cheng Ran: SCREEN ON | NO SCREEN, STRP BIENNIAL

March 20th through March 29th, 2015
Silent Cinema
Klokgebouw 50, 5617 AB Eindhoven, The Netherlands

For STRP, Sedition curated a programme connected to the Biennial and to the theme SCREEN ON | NO SCREEN with works by ten artists including Cheng Ran. Sedition is the world’s leading online platform where artists display and sell their art in digital format for affiliated members’connected screens and devices – hereby – offering an easy, affordable  and social way, to experience art-collecting in the digital age. Working with some of the world’s leading contemporary artists, Sedition providesesents an innovative way to collect and trade digital, limited edition, art. The mission of Sedition is to change the art world by introducing a marketplace for collecting and trading art in the digital age.

Published on March 20, 2015 11:08 am.

news | CHENG RAN IN INSIDE CHINA: L’Intérieur du Géant

CHENG RAN: INSIDE CHINA: L’Intérieur du Géant

March 12nd through May 3rd, 2015
K11 Art Foundation Pop-up Space
G/F, Cosco Tower, Grand Millennium Plaza, 183 Queen’s Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Inside China – L’Intérieur du Géant inaugurates a long-term collaboration between Palais de Tokyo and the K11 Art Foundation dedicated to the discovery and presentation of emerging art scenes in China and France. This exhibition presents five Chinese artists in dialogue with three French artists. The selection of this new wave of Chinese artists is a distillation of over one hundred studio visits in ten cities across China. Details »

Published on March 12, 2015 6:10 pm.

screening | FRANCESCO VEZZOLI

Venue: Leo Xu Projects
Lane 49, Building 3, Fuxing Xi Lu, Xuhui,
Shanghai 200031, China

Date: Friday, December 12th 2014, 6:30 pm

Organised jointly by Francesco Vezzoli, Arthub and Leo Xu Projects, this screening includes two works by Francesco Vezzoli “Marlene Redux: A True Hollywood Story! (Part One)” and “GREED, A New Fragrance by Francesco Vezzoli”, starting at 6:30pm.

Francesco Vezzoli will be joined by Leo Xu, Shanghainese art critic and director of Leo Xu Projects, and Shaway Yeh, group style editorial director of Modern Media Group in a artist talk Saturday, December 13th, 2:00 pm at Aurora Museum Shanghai.

Published on December 14, 2014 7:19 pm.

news | CHENG RAN IN MADATAC – VIDEO ART IN CHINA

Cheng Ran: Video Art in China – MADATAC

December 11th through December 14th, 2014
Reina Sofia Museum
Calle de Santa Isabel, 52, 28012 Madrid, Spain

MADATAC is an independent and non-profit springboard, with an cultural diversity approach for cutting edge experimental and new media audio-visual culture, that particularly values innovation, originality and risk-taking art projects.
Details »

Published on December 11, 2014 12:33 pm.

past | CUI JIE: THE PROPOSALS FOR OLD AND NEW URBANISM

November 23rd, 2014 through January 4th, 2015.

LEO XU PROJECTS is pleased to present the gallery’s second solo exhibition of Beijing-based painter Cui Jie. Featuring a range of works from this year, the exhibition displays a selection of works from three of the artist’s recent series exploring urban landscapes, the relationship between the cityscape and its’ public artworks, as well the artist’s own connection with her architectural interests and research. Expanding on the continuous survey of the artist’s personal interpretations of her architectural surroundings in various urban environments in China, the exhibition presents not only the endlessness of urban development, but also the innate cyclic behaviour of metropolitan life.

Details »

Published on November 20, 2014 12:27 pm.

past | CHENG RAN: A TELEPHONE BOOTH ROMANCE

September 20th through November 2nd, 2014

Opening reception and live performance: Saturday, September 20th, 6-8pm.

Published on September 30, 2014 12:03 pm.

news | CHENG RAN AT PALAIS DE TOKYO

Since his first video work, Light Source (2005), in which the grainy image of a door is split by a beam of light radiating through its slow opening, Cheng Ran (b. 1981, lives and works in Hangzhou and Amsterdam) has restlessly plumbed the physicality of the moving image, ranging from the cellphone camera to Super 8 to HD. In a pair of recent video works, an erotic spam mail Cheng Ran had received serves as a ruse. Simply Wild (2014), shot in Super 8, uses a recurring split screen, juxtaposing awkward phrasing and unabashed yearning with flickering images. Always I Trust (2014), starring Chinese film star Carina Lau, usurps the slickness of cinema into an elliptical narrative. Together, they are testimony to Cheng Ran’s ongoing engagement with the way his generation desires and consumes sound and image.
Details »

Published on September 28, 2014 12:12 pm.

news | LIU CHUANG IN THE 10TH SHANGHAI BIENNALE

November 22nd, 2014 through March 31st, 2015

Liu Chuang will be presenting a commissioned new installation for the upcoming 10th Shanghai Biennale curated by Anselm Franke
with co-curators Zhu Ye, Hila Peleg, Cosmin Costinas, Liu Xiao, Freya Chou.

In 2014, for the second time, China’s foremost State-run institution of contemporary art –Shanghai Power Station of Art –hosts the Shanghai Biennale, in its converted power station space.
Details »

Published on September 27, 2014 12:21 pm.