Lot 765: HONG LEI B. 1960

AUTUMN IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY:EAST & WAST VERANDA

measurements note
each 77 by 99 cm. 30 1/4 by 39 in. (2)

Entitled, and dated 1997. This work is number three from an edition of ten

set of two chromogenic prints, framed

Condition Note:

90's China Art-1990-1999, written by Lu Peng, Huanan Fine Arts Publishing House, March 2000, p.300
Chinese Avant-Grade Photography Since 1990, Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House, August 2004, p.177
OUT OF THE RED-The New Emerging Generation of Chinese Photographers, Grafiche Damiani, Italy, 2004, p. 47
Between Past and Future-New Photography and Video from China, Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, International Center of Photography, and Steidl Publishers, 2004, p. 58-59

We are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described in our catalogue. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

EXHIBITED

Between Past and Future-New Photography and Video from China, exhibition tour: New York, International Center of Photography, June 11-September 4, 2004; Chicago, David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art; October 2, 2004-January 16, 2005; London, Victoria and Albert Museum, September 2005-January 2006; Berlin, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, March-May 2006; Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, summer 2006

NOTE

In 1997 and 1998, Hong Lei began to use his camera as means to experiment with 19^th century Chinese aesthetics. He did this in order to transform the traditional photograph into a new and contemporary one. In Autumn in the Forbidden City, Hong stages a scene in which a dead bird lies on the ground in the Imperial Palace. Hong hand-paints the photo and transforms the classical royal palace into an allegory of death, decline, and depression. By tampering with an existing photo, Hong is able to transform a classical garden scene into a divided, melancholic, absurd, and contemporary imaginative space.

- Zhu Qi, 90s Conceptual Art and Concepts in Art