Event
Installation view of 'A Story of a Merchant', kurimanzutto, Mexico City. Image courtesy of kurimanzutto.

A Talk by Chao Jiaxing: Curating the Speculative

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11
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23
When
from
until
30
November
2023
14:30 - 16:00
Book Tickets

In this talk at esea contemporary's Communal Project Space, Shanghai-based independent curator Chao Jiaxing will share her extensive experience with transregional curating. She will delve into the exploration of storytelling as a curatorial methodology, aligning with the impact of cultural diasporas on contemporary visual art curatorship.

As part of the talk, Chao will introduce her recent curatorial project, 'A Story of a Merchant,' co-curated with X Zhu-Nowell at kurimanzutto in Mexico. This research-based speculative exhibition interweaves personal narratives, travelogues, historical artefacts, newly commissioned artworks, fictional characters, and architectural interventions. The exhibition borrows the story from a Merchant named "SHUI Ma" on the well-known Chinese online literature platform DOUBAN, illustrating the universality of Chinese immigrant businessmen uprooted to Mexico. This magical nonfictional writing implies a specific charm and meaningful field of literature in the sinophone world after the 1949s. Several factors contributed to the dramatic legend, including the notion of China as the world's factory and a significant amount of funds allocated to research on Latin America initiated by the Chinese central government, as well as the establishment of stronger diplomatic relations after the 1949s.

The exhibition seeks to establish a shared language that challenges preconceived notions, echoing Lisa Lowe's concept of 'the intimacy of four continents.' By investigating the intertwined histories of indenture and colonial violence in Asia, the Caribbean, and the Americas through the life trajectories of Chinese merchants, the exhibition sheds light on the shared experiences of the Chinese diaspora across diverse regions, spanning from the historic Tepito market in Mexico City and Chinatown in San Francisco to Barry Street in Kingston and Yiwu in China.

In alignment with our ongoing programme 'Publishing Otherwise,' Chao's talk will explore the nuanced intersection between publishing and exhibition-making. Throughout the discussion, she will scrutinise the diasporic framework across diverse curatorial formats, underlining the critical importance of steering clear of geo-centric approaches when participating in discussions on immigration and diaspora in contemporary Asia.

Free admission, booking essential.

Alternative Tea: The utensils (tea sets) in the Gold Tea Room, co-organised with KINGA TÓTH, MAO Museo d'Arte Orientale (Turin), courtesy of YIZHONG ART.
'Under Construction A History of Shanghai Art Institutions, 2008-2016', courtesy of Text&Image
'Under Construction A History of Shanghai Art Institutions, 2008-2016', courtesy of Text&Image
'Under Construction A History of Shanghai Art Institutions, 2008-2016', courtesy of Text&Image
Installation view of A Story of a Merchant, kurimanzutto, Mexico City. Image courtesy of kurimanzutto.
Portrait of Chao Jiaxing, photo by Angela Leung
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Biographies
Chao Jiaxing
About this series
Publishing Otherwise
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