As a famous contemporary artist, Cang Xin’s works have quite therecognition and influence towards anyone with a brief knowledge about theHistory of Chinese Contemporary Art. In particular about his practice andexploration in Performance Art, from < To Add One Meter to an AnonymousMountain> to <Communication> and the following performance series ,his long-term basis personal practices in conceptual and behavioral art issomething of an object of study that can not be neglected by the researchers inChinese Contemporary Art. First time i met Cang Xin was back in 2008 on hissolo exhibition at SIFANG ART MUSEUM, Nanjing, where numerous performances,sculptures and paintings were exhibited, by seeing these works that are full ofconcepts did cause a serious impact on my own vision as a third yearundergraduate student back at that time. It is quite an unexpected andcoincidental opportunity that i would be able to assist the curation of CangXin’s solo exhibition this time.
In all fairness, spirituality in Cang Xin’s works often touches methe most, just like his early works which were simple,agile and full of aura.Though in necessity of declaration, the kind of agility in works is from deepwithin instead of being signifying which also made a certain distance inbetween Cang Xin’s works and other artists from his generation who consistentlyused ‘Chinese Symbols and Chinese Wisdom’ as a way to their works , it isfilled with special characteristics of our nation and not just simply invokingtraditions , all of which formed into an unique visage. These provided a strongbase that are relatively vast to Cang Xin’s later artistic practices, whichavoided the dilemma to creation and transformation that happened on lots ofChinese Contemporary artists.In comparison of his earlier works, the status of Cang Xin’s recentpractices had trended to immense themeshandle and comprehensive performance development , which helped his worksextending towards a genealogical kind of creative system. Status that colligatewith various aspects of mental provision like Religion, Biology, Folklore andetc is often impressive of its visage and expressive form. However it is withouta doubt that, what is behind the impressive works would always be the directreflection of the artist’s constant thinking and hardworking under whichevercircumstances.
Cang Xin had once summarized hisart activities into two properties: a high-end priest and scientific researcher.Like his studio where he filled with all kinds of biological samples and artworks, the place is like a dojo yet also a biology lab. With these twodirections coming together in artistic practices, it made Cang Xin not only aspiritual collector and integrator but more like a creator. And by this point ,his artistic genealogy that was developed over the years could constantlyreveal its new visage and form.
It is worth mentioning aboutthe two nodes on the timing for Cang Xin’s solo exhibition at the Art Museum ofNanjing University of the Arts this time, firstly is this year marks the artist’s50th year in age, when he appears as an artist with full maturity,if according to the division of age. Meanwhile it is a fresh beginning for hisartistic life itself. Secondly it had been over a decade since Cang Xin lastheld his solo exhibition here in Nanjing, so we are yet to wait and see his newconsideration on art works during which time and in what way will these all bepresented.
