Photo by Lu Yang, courtesy of Kulturforum. Catch Lu Yang’s “Uterus Man”, a world of frenetic anime aesthetics which underscore intense metaphysical doubt, at Kulturforum through Jan 26.
Hidden among the Gemäldegalerie’s Old Masters, this two-floor installation charts the birth and evolution of video art in China. Alongside the work of Zhang Peili, the man credited with introducing this art form to his country, three contemporary artists present pieces made within the last decade that tackle global topics. A three hour long single take, Zhang’s 1988 “30×30” shows the artist breaking and repairing a mirror; his other, later works are similarly meditative and simple. In contrast, Lu Yang’s adjacent, seven-room installation is immersive, plunging viewers into the world of “Uterus Man” where frenetic anime aesthetics underscore intense metaphysical doubt. Upstairs, Cao Fei uses both documentary and arthouse styles to cover Chinese industrialisation, and Fang Di presents films about Papua New Guinea. However, the real star of the show is Lu’s “The Great Adventure of the Material World”. The playable videogame takes you from hell to outer space and feels like a new medium in and of itself.
Micro Era | Kulturforum, Mitte. Through Jan 26.
