Exhibition View of “A Short History of Sculpture: Time Deposits”
The group exhibition “A Short History of Sculpture: Time Deposits” shown at Wind H Art Center, as curator Zhang Yingying said, has broken the shackles of linear time and resorted the development of sculpture from a unique perspective. The exhibition facilitates a dialogue for the audience with works from different eras to explore the eternal propositions in artistic creation, thus initiating a journey of exploring time, history and art.
Exhibition View of “A Short History of Sculpture: Time Deposits”
With seven sections from various perspectives, the exhibition examines several stages of sculptural evolution over its long history. From the 13,500-year-old bird sculpture found at Lingjing to the latest digital sculptures, these works which can be defined as “sculptures”, are organized with different aesthetics, functions, and corresponding creative modes in different historical periods. By returning to the essence of “things”, the exhibition discusses the artistic charm and existence value of sculpture as an art category that revolves around “matter”, a kind of “deposits of history”, which transcends time and space.
Exhibition View of “A Short History of Sculpture: Time Deposits”
The first section of the exhibition is titled “Lingjing Bird”. The bird sculpture from the Lingjing site in Henan Province is the oldest known Chinese sculpture so far, although it is only a few centimeters in size, but every notch is full of original power and beauty. The sculptures by Liu Huanzhang and Zhan Wang reveal how sculpture, as a product of modeling impulses from human beings, is placed among traces, forms and blocks.
A Paleolithic bird figurine from the Lingjing site, Henan, China, about 13,500 years ago.
Peak, Liu Huanzhang, cast bronze, 11×22×8cm, 1987 © Liu Huanzhang and Star Gallery.
Elementary Particle 6#, Zhan Wang, hand-rubbed stainless steel mirror, stainless steel plate, 122×133×98cm, 2022 © Zhan Wang Studio
In the second section, “Upright and Walking”, the sculptures and performance video works by Liang Hao, Wang Luyan, and Yang He focus on how they convey the artistic charm of sculpture independent of other art categories through rich materials and expressive exploration when sculpture is separated from architecture and painting.
The Right Arm Lifter Who Raises His Left Arm, Wang Luyan, wooden board, paper sculpture, marker, 51×31×24cm, 2018 © Wang Luyan Studio and Beijing Commune.
About Herself, Yang He, performance video, 21'23'', 2023 © Yang He and MG Space.
“Neo-Classical (Modern)” as the third section, showcases contemporary creations with the spirit and visual core of classical sculpture reinterpreted by artists Yu Ji, Zhang Miao, Liu Jianhua, and Cometabolism Studio, trying to explore the current resonance of “classical” sculpture on the establishment of the great influence of sculpture art. In the 20th century, sculpture highlighted its deep integration with commerce, and the fourth section focuses on the intersection of sculpture and commercial attributes: whether it is the carefully created façade of the store or the eye-catching signboard on the high street, the plastic arts of the commercial era intervene in social production through commodification and decorative installations, so sculpture has become an important carrier of visual culture.
Stone Flesh - Nobody, 2012, Yu Ji, cement, iron, 24×10×9cm, Ed. 1 of 4, 2021 © Yu Ji.
Seven Snow White and a Dwarf, Zhang Miao, aluminum, acrylic, 51×265×30cm, 2024 © Miao Zhang and CLC Gallery.
Leaves (detail), Liu Jianhua, porcelain, dimension variable, 2024 © Liu Jianhua and Beijing Commune.
Smooth Cross-section, Cometabolism Studio, stainless steel, acrylic, LED lamp, resin, 70×50×130cm, 2025 © Cometabolism Studio.
Cosmic Model - Recruitment (rendering), Feng Zhixuan, 2m hand bone, wax or epoxy resin address layer, natural crystal nine planets, about 2.7m high, 2025 © Feng Zhixuan.
The fifth section intends to re-examine the inspiration for today’s sculpture creation by exploring the functionality of sculpture in both the Eastern and the Western history, as well as the mutual influence on creative methods from different functional starting points. From the creative logic of ancient Chinese “stone modeling” and the perfect unity of artistic functionality and aesthetics in the tomb “sculpture” system. “Functionality” is not only a preconceived reality in traditional Chinese culture and artistic creation, but it can also become another way for artists today to think about art.
My Homeland 1, Liang Shuo, FRP coloring, 100×60×50 cm, 2012 © Liang Shuo and Beijing Commune.
Marilyn Manson, Wu Shangcong, ceramics, engobe, 6×4.5×9cm, 2019 © Artist Wu Shangcong and XZ Space.
In the last two sections of the exhibition, “Semi-Sculpture” and “Digital Sculpture”, progressively indicate the overall direction of the gradual and deep integration of sculpture and other media, showing the multiple forms and possibilities of sculpture in the age of science and technology. As the curator writes in the preface to the exhibition, “A Short History of Sculpture: Time Deposits” hopes to unbind the inherent social attributes of these historical survivors, and once again make the necessary associations of the present, past and future time from the perspective of “Time Deposits”, so as to provide the audience with a way to observe how contemporary Chinese artists ensconce these “historical hints”. The exhibition remains on view until September 14, 2025.
A Bedsheet from the Countryside, Zhao Yao, polypropylene suspended modular flooring, 360 × 124 × 36 cm, 2022 © Zhao Yao and OTA Fine Arts.
The Wheel of Death, Ding Shiwei, spatial field installation, magnetic levitation base, levitating magnets, plasterboard, custom acrylic, UV printing, 3D printing, variable dimensions, 2021 © Ding Shiwei.
Threshold Nest, Shinetana, wool felt, wood, leather cord, camel hair, horsehair cord, ceramics, animal horns, animal bones, dimensions variable, 2025 © Shinetana.
Skirts, Crinolines and Capes, Liu Fujie, resin, stainless steel, tassels, crafts, animal bones, paint, dimension variable, 68×198.5×48.5cm, 2023 © Liu Fujie and CLC Gallery.
Flower Arrangement Practice 01, Li Weiyi, collectible digital print, 135×90cm, 3 1AP, 2024 © Li Weiyi.
About the Exhibition
Curator: Zhang Yingying
Dates: June 13—September 14, 2025
Venue: Wind H Art Center
Address: North Gate 1, 798·751 Community, Jiuxianqiao North Road, Chaoyang, Beijing
Courtesy of Wind H Art Center, edited by CAFA ART INFO.
