The Atlas of Mountains and Seas | Chapter One: Chasing the Waves 1

2024.12.21—2025.3.20

Artistic Director：Yu’er

Curator:Cheng Xi

Artists:
Chai Mi, Deng Hanbin & SchiChiu, Lisa Chang Lee, Lu Qing, Li Xiaolin, Liu Pi,Tan Tian, Tang Ning, Wang Zehao, Xu Han, Xiao Jian, Ye Su, Yu Aijun, Yang Xinjia, Yue Yuchen, Zhang Yi & (Group: Chai Zirui, Gao Nina, Lo AnHe, Li Jiaqing, Wu Feifan, Wang Xiao’ai, Wang Yufei, Xu Canyang)

Artists&Experimental Performances:
Andrej Bako  & Zhuo Mengting, Ake，Hong Xing, Jin Jinjin, 

The ZEAL ACADEMY、Song Lang, Yang Yu

Opening Ceremony:
2024.12.21, 3:00–5:00 PM
Experimental Performances:
2024.12.20, 6:00–8:00 PM
2024.12.21, 6:00–10:00 PM
Wave-Chasing Night:
2024.12.22, 6:00–10:00 PM

Producer:Wang Yi

Designer: Li Sihui
Organizers:Zhaomu Art Museum & Elsewhere Culture
Address:No. 36, Wanghai Road, Chiling Scenic Area, Yingzhou Town, Lingshui, Sanya City, Hainan Province

Preface

The sea has always symbolized both romance and crisis. It encompasses everything, yet conceals storms within. Between geographical boundaries and psychological spaces, maritime culture intertwines dual narratives of nature and humanity, revealing the rhythms of the tides as well as reflecting the surges of societal change and human emotion.

Shanhai Chronicleis a long-term artistic experiment inspired by maritime culture. It begins with the wilderness of "Li Er" depicted inThe Classic of Mountains and Seas("Shan Hai Jing") and extends to the lofty realm of "90,000 miles" imagined by Zhuangzi.

"Mountains and seas" embody the loneliness and uncertainty humans face when confronted with the "island" as both a geographic and psychological boundary. Here, "mountains and seas" are not mere geographical symbols but represent a realm where physical and mental spaces converge. Through this symbolic concept, the exhibition explores the dialogues between humanity and nature, finitude and infinity, boundaries and transcendence.

The first episode ofShanhai Chronicle, themed "Chasing Waves," symbolizes a dynamic state of movement—an action. It reflects the flow of time, form, and consciousness, while also portraying social and cultural trends and new waves of thought. The seemingly eternal mountains, seas, sun, and moon are in constant flux. Morning and evening, tides rise and fall. Waves flow through time and shape space.

Today, individuals find themselves in an era of uncertainty, akin to the plight of islands amid ocean waves. The tides of this age evoke a sense of turbulence and helpless drift—a vague loneliness, anxiety, and a lack of control.

Yet, the distant "horizon" and the vast, ever-changing sea often inspire freedom and boundless imagination, prompting people to "set sail" and "chase waves," seeking new possibilities amid the turmoil. The waves represent both the flow of time and the metamorphosis of forms, as well as the turbulence of social trends. Waves are natural phenomena and metaphors for adventure; they signify uncontrollable forces as well as the spirit of active pursuit. "Chasing waves" embodies not only a state of movement but also the courage and audacity to confront the unknown.

Shanhai Chronicleis rooted in maritime culture, initiating a profound local artistic practice. It is not a static art display but a deep dialogue about oceans, culture, space, and psychology. Through art, it seeks to rekindle the long-lost connection between humans and nature and to explore the unique language of local culture.

Artists will engage in in-depth conversations with the local community, drawing inspiration from Hainan Island's natural landscapes, historical heritage, folk traditions, and daily life. Their works will activate local natural and cultural spaces with dynamic and transformative artistic methods, creating connections between the undefined, unrestricted expressions and the ties between humans, nature, individuals, and communities.

This exhibition will open on the day of the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. From this day forward, nights grow shorter, and days gradually lengthen. The works will evolve dynamically over time, concluding at the spring equinox when day and night are equal. This seasonal rhythm responds to the exhibition's contemplation of time, transformation, and life.

Cheng Xi
2024.12.5