Future Plan
Before I started the MFA course, I thought two years is a bit too long. It seems different when I look back; I can still vividly remember the first class, nervous and exciting, to introduce myself though our path with UAL seems about to diverge. The graduation is within a few weeks come along with the familiar jumpy feeling to enter the new arena.
Right, 2020 hasn't been celebrated for everyone; we are constantly living in this pandemic fear.
It's not easy for everyone. Exhibition with Uncoveredcollective platform has been prolonged to sometimes during December. The good thing is I find something can keep myself motivated. I am planning on purse a Ph.D. after Master. Currently still working on the research proposal Dishonest Nostalgia which is applying autoethnography to challenge the ideas of nostalgia and contemporary Chinese female identity. In short, it is to make personal memory meet cultural memory. This intangible idea has been embodied for so long until I found out earlier this year. Though not explicit and ineffable in a couple of sentences, I'm grateful for the self-reflective process during MFA course. It's indeed become a seduction of the quest for an indirect link to feminism and cultural memory. And this precious treasure treat will keep me going academically and artistically.
Professional Showcase
Personality
‘10Degree’Exhibition | 11-12 February
Private View | 11th February 6 – 9 pm (2020)
A multinational group of 10 artists create a mixed media show for Sprout.
When I heard my classmate, Fio Adamson found a potential community place - Sprout Art for exhibition; I was more than thrilled to be part of it. As long as all the artist applied the membership for Sprout art, we started to produce a work plan for artists to meet. Ten of us operated upfront work as a team for the concept, schedule, role. Later on, when we figured out the timing and intention, I acted as the installation team.
Though the preparatory work is relatively tiring and being part of installation team is a bit dull, I felt like my ability within 10 of us is mainly motivate and inspiring people. Right, it's more like a personality contribution. Frankly speaking, I consider myself shy to speak in public if you meet me for the first time. However, the duration since we had the first meeting for this show is about 1 year. It took me some time to be close with my classmate and be confident about speaking in public. The whole process of the show become rather effortless and intimate with my classmate.
Flexibility&Communication
To be fair, I pretty sure I attended all the meetings for the exhibition Emergency Art organized by Galina Hristova. I just can't remember my job detail. Please don't get me wrong here. My position here is indeed flexible. We work out the concept altogether as we all working on different themes. However for the install day, I pretty sure most of the artists encounter the same problem. It's can be rather messy than you pictured. So wherever need a hand I will help out. I consider my position as an enthusiastic assistant for everyone. To help out load works on the truck, pass a scissor for the installation team, cater wine for the audience for a while. It's could be numberless chores for you to do in an exhibition.
However, I do think I might need to work out on my communication skill with the audience. As I mentioned earlier, I could be a bit embarrassing to speak with a stranger. Being a professional artist is much harder than I thought. The good thing is I know my weakness and I know how to make it better.
‘Emergency Art’Exhibition | 6-9 December
Private View | 6th December 6 – 9 pm (2019)
Emergency is a collective Fine art exhibition unified by themes which define the dramatic and uncertain conditions besetting our society.
Curation&Collaboration
It's an exhibition that MFA Wimbledon presents, 35 artists in the course all divided into different groups to complete this exhibition. It's my honor to be in the curation role within this group exhibition and to learn how to hold a show from the beginning in the end. Needless to say that Crypt gallery is unique and atmospheric. I surely learn my lesson to coordinate with 35artists. Most valuably is my duty as a curator.
More or less, the curation job is all about communications and understanding each artwork. Start from reading everyone's proposals and statements for the show. While how to put 35 artists work in a space is a colossal mess, our team tries our best, somehow we missed the critical point which is curating is quite like a cooking process. You have to add more flavor to each one’s work to create a dramatic atmosphere fit in the space and theme. I am delighted that this experience bonds me tighter with each member in our course also gets to know the process of curation.
‘IMMUREMENT’Exhibition | 7-10 November
Private View | 7th November 6 – 9 pm (2019)
This multidisciplinary exhibition of the work of 38 international artists explore behind the world ‘Immurement’ and history of the crypt beneath London’s St Pancras Parish Church.
Starting point as an artist
To some degree, Postopia is my virgin exhibition in London. It was rather pleasant than I thought. I saw the open calls from year two and take some persuading to apply. Later on, everything went smoothly. I sent my proposal and they are happy about it. In the meantime, I created a new piece of work which I mention in the arc work "Uterus." It's a shame I haven't occupied any specific work except help around during installation day and deinstall day as it was hosted by Year two. Back then, I was just an amateur artist, while the experience definitely changes my mind about the exhibition. I realized that a successful show requires many skills like research, networking, timescales and budget, etc. Postopia is more like a starting point, knowing how I function as an artist, knowing how I can do job during an exhibition.
