Lot 23: SHI XINNING

Double Annotation for Impossibility
Signed in Chinese and dated “Shi Xinning 2006” lower right and on the reverse.

279 x 477 cm (109 3/4 x 187 3/4 in).

Oil on canvas.

2006

Beijing, Today Art Museum, Black and white a conscious cultural stance, Beijing, 21 July-15 August 2007

Exhibition catalogue, Today Art Museum, Black and white a conscious cultural stance, Beijing, 2007 (illustrated)

Wedel Fine Art, London; Private Collection

Shi Xinning’s work is influenced by the traditions of Social Realism and Western history painting. By fusing together artistic and journalistic elements in scenes of actual and imagined events, Shi’s paintings are a witty commentary on China’s societal flux in recent years. Taking his imagery from iconic press photos, Shi’s canvases are seemingly faithful representations of the world as we know it; but there is always a twist. In Shi’s fictitious world, history is altered and re-interpreted. In Double Annotation for Impossibility, a dramatic arrangement of wooden beams stretches in front of Beijing’s most familiar sight – the Gate of Heavenly Peace. What is supposedly one of the busiest squares in China’s capital is shown utterly devoid of human presence. As in the haunting visions of Anselm Kiefer, a surreal impression of grandiose decay resonates. The beams are reminiscent of pillars that have fallen from an ancient temple; and the muted shades of grey impart a sense of lifelessness. Here, the very symbol of Beijing has been ‘impossibly’ presented by the artist’s imagination.