- Venue
- Saltspace Gallery
- Starts
- Thursday, July 20, 2023
- Ends
- Monday, July 24, 2023
- Address
- Axiom Building, 54 Washington Street, Glasgow G3 8AZ
- Location
- Scotland
- Organiser
- Saltspace Gallery, Axiom Building, 54 Washington Street, Glasgow G3 8AZ
‘Phantom Patterns’
Hui Zhang, Xiaoyu Xiong, Alan Rutherford
20/07/2023 – 25/07/2023
Opening Night: Thurs 20th July 6-9pm
Opening times: 11am – 5pm
‘Phantom Patterns’ is a group show that is the culmination of two years of collaborative research and making by artists Alan Rutherford (Scotland), Xiaoyu Xiong (China) and Hui Zhang (China). The artists worked together between 2020 and 2023 through the British Council’s ‘Connections through Culture’ programme, in partnership with the Shanghai based Ruan Yisan Heritage Foundation (RYH) to collaborate through its ‘Arts and Heritage’ project which invites artists to work at the ancient town of Chongwu in the province of Fujian.
The artists were interested in the colourful textile patterns of the local Fujian Hui’an woman’s clothing, inspiring them to seek a deeper understanding of the woman and their role in the local community. Despite long standing contributions of physical labour (they helped to build the town and actively maintain it), they are mostly overlooked and undervalued in the local community. The work in the exhibition celebrates the role of these women and seeks to support them in establishing a voice and a presence that can help to transcend local attitudes.
Alan Rutherford will show 2D drawings and Augmented Reality work that explores new and different ways to experience a place and site that would otherwise be physically out of bounds.
Xiaoyu Xiong presents moving image works that document her invitation to the Hui’an women to participate in her performances in and around Chonwgu town. Xiong will also screen a recent performance by the Hui’an woman that was recorded specifically for this show.
Hui Zhang presents 2D works. ‘Phantom Patterns’ were interventions in the town of Chongwu. Zhang placed pattern images in-between buildings around the town, to remind people of the of the importance of Hui’an woman’s contribution and their strength.
