Show of identity

By Alex Jordan 05 : 02 : 2016 Fondation Louis Vuitton : Bentu : Exhibition

Paris – The first exhibition of Chinese contemporary art to be hosted in France for 10 years will explore China’s unique approach to national identity.

The Bentu exhibition will be hosted at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, built in 2014 as a gift to the city of Paris
The Foundation will host multidiscplinary events, including panel discussions and performances by some of the artists

In contemporary Chinese art, the term bentu, which translates as native soil, does not denote nationalism. Instead, it represents a dialectical concept that aims to reconcile the ‘local’ and the ‘global’ in a universalist and critical rediscovery of identity.

From January to August 2016, Louis Vuitton Foundation is welcoming 12 Chinese artists to exhibit their works including sculptures by Ai Weiwei and Huang Yong Ping alongside photography by Tao Hui and oil paintings by Liu Xiaodong.

‘The choice of works is not intended as an overview of China’s art scene, but instead seeks to highlight the transient nature and fleeting forms of Chinese art, which is rapidly changing and asserting itself through outstanding individuals rather than movements,’ according to a statement by the Foundation.

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