Grand Opening of the New Space in Shenzhen

Written by: Wang Jingyu

 

It has been more than a year since the last opening hosted by the Dragon Year Gallery in Shenzhen. We had a great time during the show The Curse Healing Book featuring the works of Zheng Hong Xiang. Our audience was terrific and we really look forward to continuing the friendship with art lovers in Shenzhen by further embedding ourselves into the art landscape of this forward thinking city. 

 

We are launching a brand new gallery space!

 

 

We are relocated into an office and gallery space in Hong Mian Street, next to the Shenzhen River, which marks the boundary of Shenzhen and Hong Kong SAR. The Dragon Year Gallery has expanded and transformed its gallery space during this somewhat unexpected dormant period. The start of 2020 was not very easy when most of the world was experiencing the great lockdown because of Covid-19. This public health event not only affected people’s daily routine but also has provoked the conversion of hearts and minds in all respects we all were situated in a lonely, unusually isolated social environment. This has caused us all to re-examine, work, private, and cultural life. Even though lock down orders have been gradually restored we have gone through an internalized transformation that leaves indelible marks on each of us. Afterall, the whole world is still embroiled in this war with the virus. 

 

 

Echoing this underlying change, our gallery also is transforming itself both physically and spiritually. We continue to be based in the area of Shenzhen called the Fu-tian Bonded Area. We have kept observing our co-workers, the companies that are from many other industries including live broadcasting, advertising, design, bio-engineering, quantum physics etc., and have not only witnessed but also experienced the transition of the whole area as it becomes a Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Zone. During this period we also dedicated ourselves to searching for a new space for gallery shows and other kinds of art-related events and we truly value the unique style and the dynamics of the area where our space is located because we have had the opportunity to establish our gallery and offices in a new, complex and frankly, fantastic physical space. Our new space will enable the gallery to truly grow and find its own voice. Meanwhile, new members keep joining our team. We have a brand-new curatorial team consisting of people with different backgrounds. All these new transformations will allow the gallery to realize more possibilities in presenting high-standard art shows and experimental projects. 

 

 

The featured artist we have selected in the first of eight new shows we will unveil in the months ahead will be the same artist featured by the last show, Zheng Hong Xiang. Our last show featured smaller, more intimate, and less frequently presented pieces by Zheng. Our new show entitled Ship of Fools will, however, present a brand new curatorial perspective inspired by another set of works by the artist, focusing on much larger pieces Zheng has completed. It perfectly symbolizes the revitalization of our gallery after such a long incubation and period of rebirth. What’s more, we have defined and developed a comprehensive curatorial package encompassing both real world experience and virtual representation, both traditional offline curation and forward thinking online presentations, both locally grounded events and internationally visible representation. Our international collectors cannot easily travel or cross borders so we have worked especially hard out our new practice of “Digital Curation” to combine the tools of the web, video, and three dimensional online museums to create a new and fresh experience that will enhance the traditional in-person experience of an opening or a show.  

 

 

The special circumstances we have all lived through during the year 2020 has showcased the uniqueness of the digital era which The Dragon Year Gallery is one of the first to fully embrace in all aspects of curating and conducting an art show to the public. In 2021 and into 2022 we will hold eight different shows which will occur in our upgraded physical space but each show will also include a comprehensive social media campaign in both English and Madarin, a new 3D online virtual museum, an experimental art installation, and ample supporting posted video content. We have embraced the new era of curating art for the future and are combining this with a much upgraded permanent gallery space as we enter 2021. Our new space will therefore also serve as an experimental site for us to create an entirely new language for the art industry.

The trailer for the upcoming Zheng Hong Xiang Solo Show.

 

We are here ready to reconnect with the world!