Yang Fudong

Yang Fudong's films are psychologically dense, visually beautiful meditations on the philosophical questions of existence as they are played out in the exterior world and the interior lives of his subjects. Silent tableaus and contemplative pacing take the place of action sequences; time does not stand still but unfolds almost visibly. Seven Intellectuals in Bamboo Forest (2003) is envisioned as a series of five separate films. Part 1 and Part 2 are on view here. The work is an epic journey, revolving around seven poets and artists as they move through various phases of experience in their quest to transcend earthly life. According to common lore, these seven intellectuals, who lived during the third and fourth centuries, passionately pursued ideals of liberty, artistic freedom, and individual enlightenment. Over the course of the films, the subjects reconcile youthful ideals with the realities of life, as they move from the awe-inspiring landscape in Part 1 to the chaotic city in Part 2.

Selected Bibliography:

Kee, Joan. "Yang Fudong." Tema Celeste 92 (July–August 2002): 56–59.

Movius, Lisa. "Celluloid Purgatory: Shanghai's Independent Cinema Inches Forward." Asian Wall Street Journal, November 8, 2002.

Obrist, Hans Ulrich, and Yang Fudong. "Hans Ulrich Obrist Camera Interviews: Interview with Yang Fudong." Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art 2, no. 3 (September 2003): 61–70.

Perlez, Jane. "Casting a Fresh Eye on China with Computer, Not Ink Brush." New York Times, December 3, 2003.

Yang Fudong. "A Thousand Words: Yang Fudong Talks about the Seven Intellectuals." Artforum 42, no. 1 (September 2003): 182–83.

Links:

ShanghART

The Moore Space