BY ART MATTERS opened a new exhibition, Moments are Monuments, on August 15th, 2024. The exhibition showcases more than eighty works by twenty-nine renowned artists from China and abroad, spanning from the 1930s to the present. Most of the works are sculptures and installations, including pieces by Anthony Caro, Edmund de Waal, Rachel Whiteread, and JAMESPLUMB, which are exhibited for the first time in art institutions in mainland China. The exhibition also features works by Marcel Duchamp, Ettore Sottsass, Francis Alÿs, Theaster Gates, Roman Ondak, HE Xiangyu, among others.
This exhibition aims to highlight a different aspect of art—one that is more human-scaled and capable of emphasising its everyday function. It demonstrates how ordinary objects from our daily lives can be transformed into artworks, revealing their significance. The exhibition invites people to slow down and reflect on the importance of small, individual moments within the relentless flow of life. With the right perspective, anything around us can become a work of art and a monument to the meaningful moments in life.
The exhibition centres on artistic creation using everyday objects as both materials and inspiration, presenting a network of relationships woven from nature, faith, society, and personal experience. It is organised into eight chapters, each corresponding to a different theme: “A Reflection of Worship,” “A Gaze at the Moon,” “An Eternal Drama,” “A Trace of Warmth,” “A Touch of Lightness,” “A Silent Monologue,” “A Grave Bird,” and “A Return to Human Scale.” These chapters offer audiences a starting point for independent reflection and thought as they explore each distinct section of the exhibition.
The exhibition’s prologue, titled “A Reflection of Worship,” features four sculptures, including Anthony Caro’s Emma Screen and Mexican artist Jose Dávila’s Fundamental Concern XXVIII. These sculptures explore the abstract concept of “monuments,” emphasising the significance of the viewer’s gaze. Whether considering primitive totems or modern idols, their power often derives from the projection of belief by those who observe them. These four sculptures are strategically placed in front of the transparent glass curtain wall on the north side of the museum. As we focus our attention on the artworks, pedestrians outside may be drawn in and turn their gaze toward us.
In the quiet room of “A Gaze at the Moon,” visitors encounter eight moons hovering in the darkness. This installation, Stained Moons by JAMESPLUMB, is created from glass shards covered with moss, lichen, and dirt, which the artists salvaged from an abandoned greenhouse. These materials were carefully processed and projected using optical techniques. In this darkroom, viewers can temporarily escape the overwhelming and fleeting images and information of the real world, and instead, experience different phases of the moon as they change over time. The installation leads the audience on a contemplative journey about time, nature, and life, offering a moment of soulful connection with the natural world.
“An Eternal Drama” serves as a bridge to an ancient religious temple, embodying not only a modern interpretation of sacred worship but also a revival and reshaping of the spiritual essence of primitive art. Through a series of intertwined sculptures by Goro Kakei and the creation of ten white clay figures by Theaster Gates in A Portion of the Team Lives in the Heavens, the exhibition interprets legends and stories, crafting distinct, narrative-rich scenes. Together, these works depict timeless tales that transcend centuries and resonate deeply with the human spirit. They are not merely a visual feast but also an expression of humanity’s enduring desire to tell and hear stories.
“A Trace of Warmth” showcases intimate and gentle works by various artists centred around human living spaces. American artist David Adamo uses porcelain plaster and rubber bands to create a miniature version of a radiator titled Untitled. This object, once a source of warmth for him, is stripped of its functional purpose and transformed into a vessel for personal memories. British artist Rachel Whiteread replaces air with plaster, revealing the interior spaces of hot water bottles and switch boxes in a peculiar and unexpected way. Through the contemplation, transformation, and reproduction of everyday household items, these artists remind us to notice the invisible “negative spaces” in our daily lives and challenge the limitations of our habitual perception of space.
“A Touch of Lightness” explores the experience of confronting heaviness and the desire for lightness. Two artists transform heaviness into lightness through their materials and concepts. German artist Luise Unger weaves a semi-transparent mesh structure using stainless steel wire hooks, creating intricate forms from simple materials. As light and viewing angles shift, the work shimmers with a dreamy lustre in the space. Vivian Suter’s series captures moments in time through natural imprints. Having lived and created in the tropical rainforest of Guatemala in South America for over 40 years, she integrates the dynamic relationships of nature into her imagery.
In the “A Silent Monologue” area, the two chairs by HE Xiangyu and JAMESPLUMB offer distinct perspectives: one through the inventive use of materials and meticulous craftsmanship, and the other through a sudden inspiration in the combination of ready-made objects. This area intersperses works imbued with personal emotions and historical memories, inviting viewers into a person’s rich inner world. Different objects reflect various situations, states, emotions, and concepts from different stages of life.
Edmund de Waal’s works, which blend pottery and writing, evoke a sense of longing for the past. Known for his ceramic art and the book The Hare with Amber Eyes, which traces family memories, de Waal’s work explores the writing of lost memories and the search for material life.
YANG Jung Uk’s piece, Scenery of Dialogue T_9, simulates the subtle moments of daily adjustment between the artist and his wife through dynamic sculpture. This area culminates with Francis Alÿs’ Time is the Trick of the Mind, the only animated image in the exhibition. Just as Stained Moons reflects the slow passage of time, this work reveals the hidden mysteries in small moments of life, prompting us to reconsider the inherent rhythm and order in our daily environment.
“A Grave Bird” and “A Return to Human Scale” offer a fresh examination of the intricate relationship between humans, objects, and nature. Anna Boghiguian’s Group of Nines (Standing Birds) highlights the shared conditions between humans and animals in contemporary environments. Ettore Sottsass’ series of photographs, Metaphors, displayed in the long corridor, seems to respond to the inquiries posed by the nine birds. This work serves as a precursor to the Memphis design movement, presenting three segments—“Designed for Human Fate,” “Designed for Human Rights,” and “Designed for the Survival Needs of Animals”—which weave together Sottsass’ design philosophy of fate, freedom, and desire. Sottsass fundamentally explores the origins of design, and his Metaphors concludes the exhibition, offering both a summation and a reimagining of the journey.
In this exhibition, the interplay between form and materials, space and objects, media and context is intricately woven together. The boundary between daily life and art is skilfully blurred, inviting the audience to become participants in this exploratory journey. Visitors will witness how ordinary objects are imbued with significance and transformed into essential “monuments” in life.
We hope that these artworks, each employing a unique creative language, offer a moment of reflection and help people rediscover the commemorative value of everyday things. As the German philosopher Albert Schweitzer once said, “The meaning of life lies in every expression of life, reflected in the infinite points of form and phenomenon, existing in all creations.” We look forward to embarking on this artistic journey together, engaging in a profound dialogue between art and self, time and the world, at BY ART MATTERS天目里美术馆.