Artist’s Book in China Printmaking Museum

Artist’s Book in “China Printmaking Museum“

 

In the “China Printmaking Museum” I found contemporary artist’s book. Maybe Chines would say it is not an artist’s book, it is print or printed matter (it is not the same like printmaking). But on my opinion, it is conceptual artist’s book made in Chines style and exhibited as an artist’s book installation.

The “China Printmaking Museum” is the first museum in China in printmakers’ village in Guanlan Subdistrict. Maybe it is the first museum for printmaking in the world, but I am not sure in it… It was designed by famous Chinese architect Zhu Xiong Yi from the company CCDI. Museum was opened in October 2014.

“Museum offers a new platform for exhibitions of the art form, academic exchanges and art education seminars” said the museum’s curator, Wu Changjiang.

The “China Printmaking Museum” makes big impression. Large modern building integrated in nature, some parts covered with mirrors. Near the Museum is old tower from the traditional village with Hakka houses. Different parts of Museum connected with “bridges”. The “China Printmaking Museum” covers an area of 17,600 square meters. and that only for printmaking !!! Museum divided into different zones: exhibition halls, galleries, bookstores, functional academic halls and etc. The Museum conduct efficient connection with the “Printmaking Base” on collection of and research on the Resident artists’ works.

This time when I visited Museum in the Hall 1 was the exhibition of Wu Biduan (born in 1926) – “Engraving of Times”. “Mr. Wu Biduan is a famous printmaker, a printmaking educator and a pioneer of printmaking teaching in China Central Academy of Fine Arts.” It was interesting to see the prints from this generation, to see how professional they have been in curving woodblock, to compare with soviet prints or expressionism.

In the Hall 2 – the exhibition “Inter-Sectionality: Thought and Concept of Contemporary Print”. This exhibition demonstrates few famous Chinese printmakers of our days. What is interesting to see in the prints of Chinese artists, that some artists trying to “escape” from woodcut. Artists more and more use lithography, silkscreen, intaglio, or mixed media. And they use “new technologies” for printing very professional.

In the glass boxes installed artist’s book of Huang Yang “Wan Li the Sixteenth Year”.

In the Hall 3 – “Female Artists Print Exhibition”. The exhibition of selected prints, created in the Guanlan Print Base.

Yes, when you look on how they install the prints in the exhibition space, you understand that you never have seen such respect for artists, for printmakers, for prints. What we can say more? It is sad to look on our countries…

 

More info and pictures about China Printmaking Workshop

 

Kestutis Vasiliunas

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