Liao Xiaozhou, Lou Yezi, Yang Yifan, Outpost at Gene Gallery, Shanghai

Outpost by Liao Xiaozhou, Lou Yezi, and Yang Yifan, curated by the artists, at Gene Gallery, Shanghai, 07/12/2024–18/01/2025.

Exhibition text:

Adulthood places us in an era vastly different from the past: one characterized by cultural diversity, informational accessibility, and material abundance. Yet, we often find ourselves uneasy. Under the banner of free expression, we may feel a lump in our throats, as if the hesitation we experienced when speaking in front of our parents. Amidst diverse and bustling crowds, a familiar loneliness lingers, akin to the solitude of childhood when we were alone. Time in adulthood seems not always linear. Occasionally, it loops back, converging with segments of the past timeline. In those moments, the present overlaps with bygone scenes, creating certain distorted discrepancies. The familiarity of these recreated scenes evokes the sense of warmth and a near-tearful nostalgia, yet subtle fractures in the image disturb the harmony. It is unclear whether these discordances render the memory weird or if it was never as delightful as imagined.

In 1956, Freud introduced the concept of afterwardsness, proposing that trauma arises from two types of experiences and time. The first type of experience, often rooted in childhood or even earlier, serves as the fundamental cause of trauma. The second is an external accidental event; in terms of time, it is recent and reactivates the earlier experience, triggering psychological symptoms of trauma. Between the 1990s and the early 2000s, drastic economic transformations and the influx of non-native cultures unsettled original identity, family, and social norms for those living in formerly insular environments. The contradictions between parental teachings and independently acquired information sparked confusion, disorientation, and even distress.

Today, this generation has come of age, bearing the responsibilities of the times. Yet, their childhood experiences persist, unresolved. Decades are insufficient to completely reshape a cultural and intellectual atmosphere. Living in a state of fragmentation has become routine, compounded by the ebb and flow of societal upheavals that leave individuals struggling to anchor themselves. During moments of solitude and helplessness, childhood memories frequently flash across; those encountering scenes, reminiscent of the past, evokes the emotions that are difficult to discern—whether longing or wistfulness.

This group exhibition showcases works by three artists born in the 1990s—Liao Xiaozhou, Lou Yezi, and Yang Yifan—offering a deep resonance in the shared experiences of this era. Time progresses step by step, yet which sometimes seems to be only an instant. The tension between self-reflection and societal responsibility fosters psychological complexity, a theme intricately woven into the artworks in exhibition. Starting from personal narratives, three artists extend into a broader generational discourse. Through an interplay of emotions, they investigate responses to the complexities of identity, memory, and modernity within the context of rapid urbanization, globalization, and digitization. Their works not only reveal acute insights into the relationship between society and the individual but also, through diverse media and unique aesthetic languages, offer profound reflections on intergenerational culture, emotions, and realities.