Text for Show

“Thinkers Belong to Winter, So There Are No Philosophers in the Tropics” — this playful remark originated from a casual conversation with a friend, yet it carries a profound meaning. For our ancient ancestors, the arrival of harsh winter not only brought severe cold and long nights but also forced all living things into a state of dormancy. The pace of life consequently slowed, replaced by an unavoidable “passive leisure.” For ordinary people, this might mean rest and relaxation; but for artists and thinkers, it presents a different scenario—nature’s silence invites reflection, and the solitude of cold nights provokes inquiry. Such questioning is the beginning of thought. Reflecting on the serious literature and art of both the East and the West, winter is always entwined with metaphors of fate and nihilism, reflecting the rhetoric of endings and rebirth.

    Based on this, the current exhibition is themed “Writing in Winter” and invites 10 artists from across the country, spanning multiple generations from the post-50s to the post-90s. Through mediums such as painting, photography, sculpture, and installation, they showcase their individual creative methods and thematic choices. This exhibition not only presents different artistic practices but also attempts to explore the relationship between artistic creation and editorial thinking through diverse artistic expressions. The theme of winter here is not only a cultural and geographical symbol but also a shared context of ideas, forms, and personal perspectives.

    This exhibition will run until December 23, 2024. If you wish, come and see these traces, and also reflect on your own winter—a unique experience unlike others.

Liu Ya
November 18, 2024