Jing He – XiangXie-Elysium
7. 6. – 10. 8. 2019
Roehrs & Boetsch is proud to present the first solo exhibition 'XiangXie-Elysium' of Chinese artist Jing He.
'XiangXie-Elysium' is a combination of the Chinese and the English translation of the name of the famous Avenue des Champs Élysées.
In 2018, Jing He travelled to Tianducheng in the province Zhejiang in China, a large residential town built in the style of buildings found in Paris completed by an Eiffel Tower, Haussmannian boulevards such as the Champs Élysées and a park drawing inspiration from the Jardin de Tuileries and Versailles. At first glance, Chinese real estate developers seem to have created a perfect illusion of Paris. But upon closer inspection it becomes apparent that the residents' daily lives have undermined the illusion and changed the scenery. The French-looking streets are filled with local restaurants and Chinese signs and clothes are hanging from balconies or trees.
It almost seems that the character of a place comes down to those who live there - that the architecture is just a shell, and has little influence on a population. In this vein, Jing He is not focusing on the notion of originality and copy, but the fact that similar architectures co-existing in different places, together compose a bigger picture by adding new layers of meaning. Fascinated by the way the residents of Tianducheng have appropriated this image of Paris and created something new, Jing He uses the photographs she took on her visit as the basis for a series of new sculptural installations.
This exhibition is generously supported by Heineken Switzerland.
