The David Winton Bell Gallery will hold a reception to mark the opening of My dad is Li Gang! 我爸是李刚! a new installation by Jin Shan 靳山 curated by Ian Alden Russell.
A leading voice in an emerging generation of socially engaged contemporary artists in China, Shanghai-based Jin Shan is an agent provacateur. Preferring wit and satire to aggression and conflict, his work uses humor and play to draw audiences into a confrontation with the social, cultural and political problems of the modern world. In this special project for the Bell Gallery, Jin Shan responds to power dynamics in contemporary China, invoking the social meme “My dad is Li Gang!” – a short-hand satirical critique of the corrupt financial and political elite of China who believe they can avoid responsibility for harm they have inflicted on others.
Jin Shan will be in conversation with Ian Alden Russell at 5:30pm in List Art Center auditorium, with the reception to follow. All are welcome. Exhibition open now through November 4.
Reception, 5:30pm, Friday, September 7, Bell Gallery, 64 College Street (directions)