"Slow Life in the Fast Lane"
island6 Art Collective (Liu Dao 六岛) with Philippe Staib Gallery at SHContemporary 2012
Liu Dao's second solo show at SH Contemporary pays homage to its sultry, steamy birthplace. Shanghai is not just Liu Dao's home, but also its inspiration, sustenance and heartbeat. Slow Life in the Fast Lane is the art collective's celebration of their six-year love affair with all that resonate with electricity and life in the "City Upon-the-Sea".
The little nooks and crannies of daily life in one of the most iconic cities in the world are sometimes lost in its maze of noise and bustle. An old nong tang incongruously nestled in a fashion district. The buzzing nightlife where 1930s jazz meets pulsating techno beats. Tiny pig-tailed schoolgirls running past the East-meets-West shikumen architecture in street corners. Liu Dao retells the story of Shanghai life lovingly and contemplatively through animated skyscrapers, laser-cut trees and tea-soaked rice paper collages.
The essence of Shanghai is well-captured in the signature fusion style of the Liu Dao collective. Slow Life in the Fast Lane brings together their best pieces in the form of re-appropriated antique furniture, mix of LED-and-traditional papercutting, animated photographic works and multimedia installation and sculptural pieces. Pearl or Whore of the Orient? Liu Dao invites you to slow down, and take a moment to appreciate the contrasts and dissonances of Shanghai embodied through its uniquely synthesized artwork. |
