Music did not only inspire Cheng Ran with video graphic narrative and plot; even its mediums--musical instruments and musicians--play important roles in his installations and live projects. For "Eagle and Deer," the artist combined feather pens with antiquated musical instruments into a musical installation with classical design, sculptural aesthetics, and automated performance. The large scale installation, that was first revealed in Amsterdam, was built out of shattered piano frames in emulation of the broken iceberg remnants portrayed in "The Sea of Ice," by Casper David Friedrich. This cold, silent piano sculpture is also a reinterpretation of Cheng Ran's vast collection of Beethoven sonata recording covers. By breaking down the barriers between "painting-sculpture-sound," Cheng Ran's artistic representation allowed intangible musical sounds to become visualized tangible material.

This exhibition will show, for the first time in Shanghai, Cheng Ran's 2014 video installation "Always I Trust," that received great critical acclaim internationally. This project involves the transformation of erotically enticing, strangely worded spam mail into numerous video recordings performed by celebrity actress Carina Lau. Lau's confession-like interpretation, a dancing figure passing through many different spatial spheres and domains, and a futuristic, fictional representation of the city of Shanghai, all fuse into "Mail," a performative installation that is both a utopian film and a romantic play. "Always I Trust," was first unveiled at the Shenzhen OCAT Contemporary Art Center in 2014, and was later displayed at Galerie Perrotin (Hong Kong) and Palais de Tokyo in Paris using different modes of representation.

Aside from the installations and videos created exclusively for this exhibition, the opening show for the exhibition's reception night will include a live performance in collaboration with Beijing experimental sound group "Soviet Pop" entitled "THE XXX." Cheng Ran will take the stage as band drummer for this performance, and explore the relations between individual experience and physical embodiment.

Cheng Ran was born 1981 in Mongolia, and graduated from China Academy of Art, Hangzhou. So far in his career, Cheng Ran's works have been widely exhibited in galleries and museums both domestically and abroad, including "Inside China" (Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France, 2014), "Lost: Time, Space, Tapestry" (Shanghai Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai, China, 2014), The 8th Shenzhen Sculpture Biennales, "We have never participated" (OCAT Contemporary Art Center, Shenzhen, China, 2014), "NOW YOU SEE, New Chinese Video Art from the Collection of Dr. Michael I. Jacobs" (Whitebox Art Center, New York, US, 2014), "ON|OFF: China's Young Artists in Concept and Practice" (Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, CN, 2013), "Perspectives 180--Unfinished Country: New Video From China" (Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston, US, 2013), the Munich Kino der Kunst Film Festival (Munich, Germany, 2013), the 26th European Media Arts Festival (Osnabruck, Germany, 2013), "Video Art in China--MADATAC" (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, ES, 2012), "30 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art--Moving Image in China" (Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China, 2011) and many more. Cheng Ran received a nomination for the prestigious Absolut Art Award in 2013, and was nominated again the following year for the "OCAT--Pierre Huber Art Prize." In 2011 he was awarded Best Video Artist by "Randian" magazine.

Cinematheque 
Date：16 March -- 31 May 2015
Venue：chi K11 art museum, B3, K11 Art Mall, No.300 Huaihai Road Central, Shanghai Organizer：K11 ART FOUNDATION
Special thanks to：LEO XU PROJECTS

ABOUT K11 ART FOUNDATION

Founded by Adrian Cheng in 2010, the K11 Art Foundation is a registered not-for-profit organisation that advances the development of the Chinese contemporary art movement by providing the creative incubating platform to nurture artistic talents in Greater China and bring them to the international stage and the broader audience. The foundation has embarked on creative collaborations and cross-regional experimentations regionally and globally to showcase Chinese talents and their full potential. Through research, initiatives and partnerships, as well as harnessing the passion and energy of the active participants, the K11 Art Foundation facilitates the public to enjoy a diverse array of programs and exhibitions to educate and raise the collective appreciation of arts and culture. The K11 Art Village (artist-in-residence program) in Wuhan offers the space and platform to many young artists to create and present their works.

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SOURCE K11