Artists: Bi Rongrong, Cai Lei, Chen Ying, Huang Rui, Jian Ce, Li Weiyi, Liu Guoqiang, Liu Yujia, Pu Yingwei, Qian Jiahua, Tang Xiao, Wang Jianwei, Wang Zhiyi, Yang Jian, Yang Zhenzhong, Extitute Group, Zhan Rui, Zhao Yao, Zhou Xiaohu, Tant Zhong
“Form” (including “formalism”) seems to be an out-of-date, even a very uncontemporary topic today. However, a hundred years ago, it was form in media like painting, photography, film, drama, performance, architecture and design that sparked a holistic art revolution and social movement that lasted nearly half a century.
If we count from Impressionism to Futurism, Cubism, Constructivism, De Stijl, to Montage, Bauhaus, and even Abstract Expressionism and the corresponding formalism theories, there is no doubt that it is one of the most radical and avant- garde art movements in the 20th century. The form here is not static, but moving, not closed, but open. It is not only a declaration, but also a spirit, a politics, and even a belief. It depends, of course, on its particular historical conditions, but its inherent universal will and innovative energy also prompt us to give new thinking and discussion on it. Moreover, today we seem to be at a historical juncture similar to that of a hundred years ago.