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May 3, 2012 @ 01:13 pm EliKleinFineArt Liu Bolin, "Lost In Art," Closes Friday, May 11th

Dear Friends,

Eli Klein invites you to enjoy the final week of Liu Bolin's solo exhibition, Lost in Art, which is closing on Friday, May 11th.

Picture above: Liu Bolin Alber Elbaz for Lanvin, 2011. Photograph. 57 1/2 x 78 3/4 inches (146 x 200 cm).

Mar 20, 2012 @ 01:06 am EliKleinFineArt Liu Bolin, "Lost In Art," Opens Tuesday, March 20th, From 6-9 PM

Eli Klein cordially invites you to attend the reception and private viewing of Liu Bolin's fourth solo exhibition at the gallery: Lost in Art. New works by the internationally renowned "Invisible Man," including his most recent collaboration with Harper's Bazaar and fashion powerhouses Gaultier, Lanvin, Missoni, and Valentino, will be on display. Please join us at our New York gallery tomorrow, March 20, 2012 from 6 - 9 PM. Liu Bolin will be present.

In recent years, Liu Bolin has garnered a particularly high level of international acclaim. Both his most recent and his upcoming series have centered on a concept of "hiding in the city," wherein the artist paints himself into the background of various notable locations in China, France, Italy and New York, in order to investigate the often contentious relationship between the individual and society and between man and nature.

In keeping with this project, Liu Bolin will be showing new photographs from both his Hiding in the City and Hiding in New York series. The works show Liu Bolin painted into a range of culturally and historically significant locations, conveying social commentary through various different aesthetic compositions. With Info Port, Liu Bolin speaks to the unprecedented level of unemployment faced by today's Chinese youth. The increasing pressure placed on young adults competing for jobs in densely-populated Beijing's meager job market is made conspicuous to the viewer by Liu Bolin's concealing himself in work postings on a bulletin board in the city. Another new work addressing the problems faced by this rapidly growing society, Yellow River, uses environmental damage as its focal point. Here, Liu Bolin hides in the river, the land of his childhood home visible behind him. This river, now so polluted that its water is no longer suitable for drinking, acts as a site of conflict between man and his environment in which the objects man creates wreak havoc on the place of man's genesis. A more direct critique of China's changing society, Panda examines the Chinese newfound preoccupation with commercialism. The work confronts the viewer with a palpable materialism, whereby the viewer can sense an infatuation with commodity that has recently supplanted many elements of traditional Chinese culture. Through the numerous identical stuffed pandas, Liu Bolin forces us to acknowledge the pull of material objects and the power that they wield in contemporary China.

The two newest releases from Hiding in New York convey different perspectives on the legacy of September 11th. The composition of Ground Zero is serene, its colors seeming rather quiet and subdued. The new Freedom Tower appears barely visible through the fog, its shadowy presence reflecting our trepidation about recovering from the trauma of this event. The photograph denotes our cautious, slow process of healing while also preserving the memory of trauma. Conversely, Tiles for America demonstrates a more direct response to the tragedy by featuring tiles whose images memorialize September 11th. Each tile is an art project in its own right, but together the tiles compose a unified visual message reflecting on the importance of patriotism, courage and unity. Through his use of the tile wall as a site of camouflage, Liu Bolin preserves these socially and historically significant sentiments, thus transforming history into art.

In his sculptural piece for this exhibition, Liu Bolin constructs a peony flower using only cellphone chargers that he himself crafted. In Chinese tradition, the peony represents prosperity, and its symbol represents a desire for the attainment of such prosperity. Similarly, in global contemporary culture, the cellphone serves as a technological and commercial manifestation of this desire. In this particular reincarnation, people constantly seek to buy the latest version of a product, to outdo others around them, to replace the quickly outdated with the new best thing. Through this piece, Liu Bolin provides commentary on the eternal human quest for affluence and success, the appearance may be ephemeral but the essential driving factors remain constant and unchanging.

In collaboration with Harper's Bazaar, Liu Bolin met with Jean Paul Gaultier, Elber Albaz of Lanvin, Angela Missoni, and Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli from Valentino, as they became the latest subjects of his camouflaging performance. The designers underwent the process of becoming nearly invisible within a background of their most celebrated signature designs. Creating four fantastic photographs, this collaboration stands as a true and marvelous beacon of the merging of fashion and art.

Liu Bolin was born in China's Shandong province in 1973, and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Shandong College of Arts and his Master of Fine Arts from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. His work has been exhibited in museum shows around the world including recent solo exhibitions "The Invisible Man," Fotografiska Museet, Stockholm (2011) and "The Invisible Man," Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, Moscow (2012).

The exhibition will be on view at Eli Klein Fine Art from March 20th through May 11th, 2012 and is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue with an essay by Michelle Roy. The artist will be present for the opening reception on March 20th from 6 - 9 PM. For further information, please contact the gallery at (212) 255-4388 or info@ekfineart.com.

Mar 16, 2012 @ 08:02 pm EliKleinFineArt Live Performance By Liu Bolin At Eli Klein Fine Art On Saturday,March 17th, From 3 - 5 PM

Eli Klein Fine Art cordially invites you to attend a live performance by Liu Bolin and witness the creation of a new photograph in his Hiding in New York series. Please join us at our gallery on Saturday, March 17th from 3 pm to 5 pm to witness the creation of this work.

Feb 6, 2012 @ 10:28 am EliKleinFineArt Gaultier, Valentino, Lanvin And Missoni Collaborate With Liu Bolinfor Harper's Bazaar

Eli Klein is thrilled to announce our captivating and groundbreaking collaboration between Liu Bolin and Gaultier, Valentino, Lanvin and Missoni for the March 2012 issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine. The stunning 10 page spread is reproduced below.

Liu Bolin's highly anticipated 4th solo exhibition at Eli Klein Fine Art opens at our New York location on March 20, 2012!

http://www.ekfineart.com/files/HARPERS_BAZAAR_Liu_Bolin_March_2012.pdf

Nov 26, 2011 @ 08:05 pm EliKleinFineArt Eli Klein Fine Art At Art Miami And Art Asia Miami

Hiding in New York No. 2 - Kenny Scharf Mural, 2011

Eli Klein is delighted to announce our participation in both Art Miami and Art Asia Miami again this year from November 30 through December 4,2011.

Our Art Miami booth will be showcasing works by Gao Rong, Han Yajuan, Liu Bolin, Shen Shaomin,Zhang Dali, and Zhao Kailin.

Booth B6
ART MIAMI
3101 NE 1st Avenue
Miami, FL 33137
http://www.art-miami.com
For a complimentary admission pass, please click this link.

Booth A1
ART ASIA
NE 1st Avenue @ NE 30th Street
Miami, FL 33127
http://www.artasiafair.com
For a complimentary admission pass, please click this link.

Nov 19, 2011 @ 10:45 pm EliKleinFineArt Han Yajuan And Her Solo Show At Eli Klein Featured In Vogue China's December, 2011 Issue

We would like to direct your attention to a feature on Han Yajuan in the December, 2011 issue of Vogue China. Vogue interviews Han Yajuan about her new works and personal style and accompanies their article with coverage of her opening for her current solo exhibition at Eli Klein Fine Art, Indulgence and Transcendence.

http://www.ekfineart.com/files/Vogue_Han_Yajuan_December_2011.pdf

English translation:
Han Yajuan's works largely incorporate fantasy and reality, and she boldly integrates the lenses of materialism into her paintings. She depicts her cartoon girls with unrestrained passion, dressing them in top-tier fashion brands, imbibing them with striking personalities, representing these fearless and independent women in China. Consumerism-powerful, optimistic, elegant, and rich-surrounds them, and they revel in its pleasures; and yet, materialism does not dictate their lives. Han Yajuan herself likes to read fashion magazines, and in her works, she delves into considerations between people, objectivity, and spatial dimensions. She tries to utilize a vision that transcends the bounds of reality to observe and express the existence of "materialism." In these pieces, the cute female protagonist manifests themselves in three-dimensional sculptural forms, and even amidst a variety of spaces, they sustain the play between an indulgent and transcendent mentality towards reality.

Talk to us about the meaning behind your work?
My recent creations consider the relationship between people, objectivity, and space, and I attempt to use a kind of perspective that transcends reality in order to observe and express the existence of physical "materialism." Through deconstruction and the overall composition, a multi-dimensional perspective presents itself, and this creates an effect that can highlight the interplay between people, objectivity, and material culture. This type of thinking originates from our curiosity and suspicion of the unknown world, and our investigative probe into the "unknown" behind "existent reality." And this "unknown" factor may well influence and construct the elements underling our "existent reality." This time, the collaborative works with "Vogue Fashion and Beauty" also maintain these considerations. The feeling of distance presented in these works and the musings inspired by the perspective of materialism in multi-dimensional space show that reality is not what it appears to be. At the same time, the cute female protagonists in my works appear in the form of a three-dimensional sculpture, and she sustains the play between an indulgent and transcendent mentality towards reality in a variety of spaces.

What is your understanding of the "materialism" concept?
I am more concerned with enjoying it from a head-on and enthusiastic perspective; objectively viewing "materialism" as it exists in the physical world necessitates one to remove the self from the "world." In addition, one has to attempt to use a perspective that transcends reality while witnessing and expressing these sorts of "materialism."

Talk to us about your understanding of fashion?
I consider fashion designs of high caliber to be artworks, and fashion designers of high caliber to be artists. The only difference is, designers use different materials as their creative and expressive means, and they allow their works to have powerful functionality. Therefore, fashion is the combination of art and trends, cohesively binding humankind's intelligence and aesthetic appreciation. I very much enjoy wearing a beautiful piece of fashion and the uncontained joy and satisfaction that it brings. I am also willing to restructure fashion, as this process of reconstruction always brings about endless surprises.

What is your personal style?
I like clothes that have a clear structural feel, that look precise. They don't require too many accessories to have a great impact.

If you had to personify "Vogue Fashion and Beauty" into a girl, what do you think she would be like?

She's the perfect "It" girl, with a clear point of view and attitude. She walks the fine line between trends and art. Her every move in every era will spur and influence the development and value inclinations of fashion.

Indulgence and Transcendence will be on view at Eli Klein Fine Art through December 11, 2011. For more information, please contact the gallery at +1 (212) 255 4388 or info@ekfineart.com.

Nov 18, 2011 @ 12:21 am EliKleinFineArt Eli Klein Interviewed In Hi Art Magazine's November, 2011 Issue

We would like to direct your attention to an interview with Eli Klein in the November, 2011 issue of Hi Art magazine, the most widely read contemporary art magazine in China.

Eli discusses the Chinese art market, his relationship with some of China's most prominent artists, and more.

http://www.ekfineart.com/files/Hi_Art_November_2011.pdf

English translation:
Every fall, New York's Museum of Modern Art presents their annual "New Photography" exhibition showcasing the works of photographers from around the world. This year, the26th anniversary of the exhibition, features the renowned Chinese artist Zhang Dali. Other artists include: George Georgiou from the UK, Deana Lawson and Doug Rickard from the USA, and Viviane Sassen from the Netherlands. MoMA is showcasing a fascinating and internationally diverse pool of contemporary photography. Zhang Dali's contribution, entitled "The Second History," investigates the Mao era and the Cultural Revolution. His process of culling through old magazines and historical articles, finding the original negatives of the photographs featured, culminates in the attempt to unveil the truth behind the tampered collective history.

Zhang Dali is represented by New York based gallery, Eli Klein Fine Art. Eli Klein was the primary driving force behind Zhang Dali's participation in the exhibition. At thirty-three, Eli Klein is owner and director of his Soho gallery. Raised in a family of lawyers, following their inevitable footsteps was always the expected. However, Klein realized his true passion lies in art, Chinese contemporary art.

Eli Klein Fine Art is one of the two galleries in New York that specializes in Chinese contemporary art, the other is Chambers Fine Art in Chelsea. After being open in New York for four years, Klein decided last year to open up a galley in a second location, Beijing. Klein wants to bring American artists into China. The gallery director also tries to promote and further develop the careers of young Chinese artists, including Liu Bolin and Han Yajuan. Though confident about his concept and direction, Eli Klein recognizes that there is a significant disparity between the global status of contemporary Chinese art and the focus of Western galleries. In other words, even though blue chip artists like Zeng Fanzhi are now working with top-tier galleries like the Gagosian, most contemporary Chinese artists have not yet reached a level of such global exposure. Eli Klein has seized the opportunity to merge the art worlds of the east and west, determined to influence the international , academic perspective .The future will be determined not just by his gallery's performance, but by the ever-increasingly focus of the global art market on Chinese contemporary art.

Hi: How did you become a businessman in the art world?
EK: My family is made up of art collectors and connoisseurs. Because I have been exposed to art from such a young age, I had developed a zealous passion for it early on. In 2007, Eli Klein Fine Art opened its doors in New York, and since then it has become the foremost gallery in the United States specializing in Chinese contemporary art. We will continue to focus on promoting and propelling Chinese contemporary art, and hope that global audiences will develop an appreciation for it, and that the works will continue to expand into western markets.

Hi: Why did you initially choose to delve into the realm of contemporary Chinese art?
EK: I have been drawn to Chinese contemporary art for a long time now. When I was first confronting the decision to open up a gallery I couldn't help but notice the lack of galleries in the United States that specialized in this niche. China is a dynamic country which is undergoing unprecedented growth; the art market has simultaneously followed suit and become influential in its own right. As Chinese society continues to expand, Chinese contemporary art will evolve as well. I noticed this fascinating and inevitable phenomenon, and then made a decision to specialize in the exhibition of Chinese contemporary art.

Hi: Could you talk about the Chinese contemporary art scene in America, especially in New York?
EK: The popularity of Chinese contemporary art in America is growing rapidly among collectors. Our continued collaboration with an ever increasing number of museums, collectors, curators, art critics, and media outlets has contributed to the proliferation of Chinese contemporary art throughout the USA. Unfortunately, the galleries in America that represent and promote contemporary Chinese artists are scant.

Hi: After the 2008 economic crisis, did Eli Klein Fine Art experience the threat of a shrinking or deteriorating art market? A lot of people have also said that the art market has recovered, especially since 2010; what are your thoughts?
EK: The 2008 economic crisis had a profound effect on the art market, but we didn't have to alter our mode of operations. Truthfully, I think the effect of the crisis has led to notable changes to the Chinese contemporary art market. Prior to the economic crisis, many contemporary Chinese artists were demanding exceedingly high prices for their works due to speculation in the market. After the crisis, corrections were made to the market, and so the trickling down process then brought the prices to more a realistic range. For some artistic works, this meant a rather sharp decline. And as a consequence, many New York galleries specializing in Chinese contemporary art, other than EKFA and Chambers Fine Art, closed their doors.

Hi: Has EKFA formulated strategies for combating the economic crisis?
EK: I am extremely careful about which artists the gallery chooses to represent.

Hi: How is your Beijing gallery faring since its opening last year?
EK: My Beijing gallery has held numerous quality exhibitions over the past year, including China's first group exhibition for black artists. Lowery Strokes Sims, the curatorial consultant for the show, presented the works of major African-American artists including Rashawn Griffin, Whitfield Lovell, Senga Nengudi, Shinique Smith, and Saya Woolfalk. This was the first ever all African-American group show in China.

We also hosted a show titled "Material → Object" and participant artists included Gao Rong, Li Hongbo, and Wang Lei. After operating for one year in 22 International Art Plaza, I decided to relocate the Beijing gallery to another space. When I have decided exactly where that will be, I will be sure to inform your readers.

Hi: Do you travel to Beijing often?
EK: I travel to China around four times a year and spend two months there doing business. I have a full-time staff in Beijing, and my team in New York is made up of specialists who are well-versed in contemporary Chinese art.

Hi: What is the current breakdown of nationalities of art collectors who buy art from EKFA?
EK: Most of the collectors who come to us are not Chinese; however, of course we do sell art to Chinese collectors. The benefits of owning a gallery in Beijing is the opportunity that the city brings, and then identifying those opportunities and seizing them.

Hi: Zhang Dali recently had an exhibition at the MoMA-how do you perceive his position within the international art circle?
EK: We are very excited that Zhang Dali is a part of the MoMA's annual "New Photography" exhibition. We have been collaborating with the museum since August 2010, working out the details and negotiating matters related to the show. Presently, we are also in the process of working with the MET regarding the inclusion of Zhang Dali's work in a group exhibition scheduled for next year. It is terrific to have Mr. Zhang involved in so many riveting shows and established spaces. Having Mr. Zhang show at both the MoMA and the MET illustrates his prominence in the international art circle, and I am confident his recognition as an extraordinary artist will only continue to develop.

Oct 23, 2011 @ 11:55 am EliKleinFineArt Zhang Dali In The New York Times

We would like to direct your attention to a review of the Museum of Modern Art's exhibition New Photography 2011: Moyra Davey, George Georgiou, Deana Lawson, Doug Rickard, Viviane Sassen, Zhang Dali, curated by Dan Leers. In this exhibition, 22 original panels from Zhang Dali's Second History series will be on view through January 16, 2012.

Oct 23, 2011 @ 11:29 am EliKleinFineArt Liu Bolin On The Cover Of BL!SSS Magazine And In The UK's TheObserver Newspaper

Dear Friends,
We would like to direct your attention to an interview with Liu Bolin in the October 2011 issue of BL!SSS magazine where he discusses his longstanding relationship with Eli Klein, and an article on Liu Bolin in the UK's The Observer newspaper.

Please click here or on one of the images below to view full article in PDF format.

Related Photos: