casabella

Artist

Xue Song “Landscape – Cola”

Distinguished international contemporary artist Xue Song is not only one of the iconic figures of contemporary pop art in China but also the earliest resident artist of Moganshan Art District in Shanghai. His meticulousness and insistence in pursuing a specific style makes him an important personage in the Neo-Shanghai school of art in China. CASABELLA is honored to invite renowned international contemporary artist Xue Song to create the artwork “Landscape – Cola”, where Chinese landscape painting is presented on the Coca-Cola bottle by paving Swarovski crystals. The fusion of Eastern and Western cultural elements is used to portray the brand new image of Coca-Cola through deconstruction and reconstruction.

Inspiration: “East and West, Deconstruction and Reconstruction”

Coca-Cola is the most emblematic foreign merchandize amid the backdrop of globalization; its foreign cultural symbol is matched with the traditional landscape of Chinese local culture. The marriage exemplifies a fusion of harmony and conflict, solemnness and mockery as well as somberness and irony. Such combination generates a powerful visual impact. Within the profound Chinese culture, the new image of Coca-Cola encompasses, deconstructs and stimulates new visual vigor.

Polishing

The cast mold is polished by hand in preparation for the setting procedure. If the result is not satisfactory, the settings will be polished again depending on the situation at hand.

Setting

Each crystal requires its own setting, which is tapped one at a time by hand. The size of each setting is determined through precise calculation, therefore the drill bit must be changed frequently.

Coloring

In order to present the lines of the landscape painting flawlessly, Xue Song has employed his proprietary pearl paint, which must be carefully formulated using measuring cup and electronic scale.

Paving

Each sparkling crystal is paved individually by hand. In total, more than 80,000 Swarovski crystals were utilized for “Landscape – Cola”.

Artist Xue Song

Born in Anhui, China in 1965, Xue Song now resides in Shanghai, and he is one of the most important artists in Chinese avant-garde Chinese art as well as an iconic figure of contemporary pop art in China. Xue Song’s works are always endowed with a critique of inherent introspection and self-insight and he is also the earliest resident artist of Moganshan Art District in Shanghai. Moreover, he is considered an influential personage in the Neo-Shanghai school of art in China. Xue Song’s creations date back to the 80s, where his repugnance towards traditional painting propelled him to search for an expression technique with greater freedom.

Xue Song’s works are seen in several important international exhibitions such as 9th Florence Biennale, Venice Biennale, 32nd/39th Art Basel in Switzerland, Miami Biennale in the US, The Ueno Royal Museum solo exhibition, Shanghai Art Fair solo exhibition etc. Furthermore, his creations are collected by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Kunstmuseum Bonn in Germany, Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Shanghai Art Museum, Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation in Switzerland, Coca-Cola Asia Pacific Headquarters, JP Morgan Chase Asia Pacific Headquarters and UBS etc.

From a cultural point of view, Xue Song’s creations are always endowed with a critique of inherent introspection and self-insight, and they often experience the process of “regeneration” as they are liberated form their existing meaning to reflect the idea of seeking innovation within tradition. By combining historic recollection, contemporary reality, traditional culture and modern perspective, he has endowed the artworks with new understanding, in turn sparking interactions with the audience. From material selection, firing to the intricate handcrafting process, they serve to liberate an object from its existing form and meaning. Painting is his interpretation of such philosophy and it bears an inexplicit connection to the former.

As far as creative technique is concerned, Xue Song’s works often feature rich, complex backgrounds collaged from small pieces of burnt pictures. The charred pictures are obtained from various magazines or books, and the foreground usually consists of a picture that occupies the entire frame such as great historic figures, newspaper photographs or Chinese landscape painting etc. Xue Song selects the most common and widely recognized images so they are readily recognizable by the audience. The pictures were once shared, owned and used repeatedly by many people, therefore they require no further elaboration. Xue Song processes these images in his unique approach so that their original symbolic meaning is relativized to produce new meaning. Consequently, art critics have dubbed him the contemporary pop artist with the most profound Chinese cultural demeanor.

Selected Solo Exhibition

2011 “piercing through history and the fashions”
A retrospective from 1988 to 2011 Xue Song Solo exhibition Shanghai Art Museum,China
2010 “A Fashion,or the History? xue song solo exhibition”
The Ueno Royal Museum Tokyo,Japan
2009 To Review is to Learn Something New:, Xue Song Solo Exhibition, ShanghART at Huaihai Rd 796, Shanghai
“Xue Song solo exhibition” Shanghai Art Musemu
2008 “A Tale of Our Modern Time—Xue Song Solo Exhibition” Kwai Fung Hin,Hong Kong,China
Xuesong solo exhibition,Chinese Contemporary Art Gallery,New York ,American
2007 Xuesong solo exhibition, Dimensions Art center ,China Beijing
Xuesong solo exhibition, Art China,Hamburg,Germany
2006 Xuesong solo exhibition, Dimensions Art center ,China Beijing
Xuesong solo exhibition, Shanghart gallery, Shanghai
2005 Xue Song Solo Show, Chinese Contemporary Art Gallery, London, UK
2003 Xue Song New Works, The Scenery and Fashion of Today, ShanghART, Shanghai
Xue Song works exhibition,The Media Center of Audi
2002 Ver Da Ga - Xue Song 2002 Fashion Series, ShanghART, Shanghai
2001 Xue Song Solo Show, Chinese Contemporary Art Gallery, London, UK
2000 Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, ShanghART, Shanghai
1999 Xue Song, Chinese Contemporary, London, UK
Xue Song,Art 50, Cosco Building/Novotel Atlantis hotel,Shanghai
1996 Xue Song Solo Exhibition, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai,China
1992 Paintings by Xue Song, British Embassy, Beijing

Selected Group Exhibitions

2014 New Cultural Identity—An Exhibition Of Chinese Contemporary Art China Cultural Centre In Sydney Sydnty Australia
2013 Ethics as the DNA Art—the 9th Florence Biebbale Florence Italia
2012 “Taste of the East” Shanghai Art Museum HK Art Fair
In history----contemporary Art Invitation Exhibition of China ,ShenZhen Art Museum ,June
“Vision--- contemporary Art Invitation Exhibition of China Shanghai zhangjiang Art Museum
2010 Summer Group Exhibition,Shangart Gallery at NO.796 in Huaihai Rd.Shanghai
‘Art Fair in HK’ Hongkong(May)
Photo Exhibition of Contemporary Artists,Today Art Museum,Beijing
‘New Landscape, New Ink’ Leisure art space , Taibei,Taiwan,(June)
‘Prose, Chinese character:The impression of Chinese Character art’,Today Art Museum,Beijing(Sep)
2009 Beijing-Havana Nueva revolucion del arte contemporany china Museo Nacional de bellas artes
2009 Art Fair in HongKong
Group Exhibition,Shangart Gallery,Shanghai,
Speechless,Ren Art Center,Beijing
Another Site---Art programs,Concepts and ideas.Shangart H hall,Shanghai
Fan---Art Literature Center,Wuhan
Normal---2009 Art Works Exhibition,Art Literature Center,Wuhan
On the paper---Group Exhibition at Shangart,Shangart Gallery at No.796 in Huaihai Rd.
Review and Exploration---Collect Exhibition of Art Literratue Center,Wuhan
2008 “New Chinese Contemporary” Melvin Art Museum Florida Amercian
“Masters” Exhibition for the 2nd Anniversary of Z-art Center’s Opening Zhangjiang Art Museum China,Shanghai
“lovely blossoms and full moon”----YuZ Collection of Chinese Contemporary Art YuZ Art Museum Jakarta,Indonesia
“Hypallage—The post-Modern Mode of Chinese Contemporary Art” The OCT Art Design gallery, Shenzhen,China
“39 Art Basel “ Basel, Switzerland China New Vision---La collezione d’arte contemporance dal Museo d’Art di Shanghai La Spezia,CAMeC
“Beijing- Athens: Contemporary Art from China” Exhibition ,Athens, Greece
“The world of thers” Museum of Contemporary Art .Shanghai
‘Miscellaneous,Mix,Co,Species’,Shangart Gallery at No.796Huaihai Rd,Shanghai
New Signature in Art----Chapter 2 for Special Opening Exhibition,Confidant Gallery,Shanghai
2008 Contemporary Art Exhibition of Beijing black bridge,Hall B of Beijing Black Bridge,Beijing
2007 “Chinese Contemporary Socart”,Tretyakov Gallrey,Moscow
“Escapc by Crafty Scheme:Language Rescue form the Tradition ahd Revolution’,Square Gallery of Contemporary Art,Nanjing,China
“The Seven Plateaus”, Ming Art Gallery,Beijing,China
“Shanghai Carries On”, Bunkamura Gallery,Tokyo,Japan
‘Dry in the sun’Shangart Gallery,Shanghai
‘Individual atitude’,Shangart Gallery,Shanghai
2006 “Reshaping Art 2006” Liu Haisu Art Museum, Shanghai,China
Z-art Center Opening center . Shanghai,China
2006 An AUTUMN OF Opportunism Wuhan,China
2005 “Restriction and Freedom”Art Literature Center,WuHan,China
‘Alien and Phantom’Shanghai Art Museum,Shanghai,China
‘Mahjong’Bern Art Museum,Switzerland
85 tribute 2005-1985,Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art
When they are 40 years old,Shangart H hall,Shanghai
‘Orient---Modern Art in China,Madrid,Spain
Awakening: La France Mandarine The French Influence on Chinese Art, Chinese Art museum
2004 Dreaming of the dragon’s nation contemporary Art exhibition Ireland Art Musemu
2003 “Have a seat”,Yisi Gallery,Shanghai,China
2002 “Have a look”,Shangai,Zhejiang,Jiangsu Anhui Contemporary Art Exhibition, Consulate General of Switzerland,Shanghai
Metaphysics 2002, at Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai
Ost + West – Ausstellung fur 4 die Zietgen & ouml; ssische Kunst aus China, at K/haus, Vienna, Austria
Ground Zero Material Art Invitational exhibition at Han Sheng Shan Art Centre, Shanghai and Art Museum of China Central Art Institue, Beijing
Wind aus Shanghai – Kunst der Gegenwart aus Shanghai at Architekur Centrum Post an Stephansplatz, Sortierhalle, Hamburg, Germany
Chinart at Museum Kuppersmuhle Sammlung Grothe, Germany and Museo Arts Contemporanea di Roma, Italy
2001 Metaphysics 2001, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai
AS long as they catch mice.., Munkeruphus Gallery, Danmark
Crossing Over, Walsh Gallery, USA
32 Art Basel,Basel Switzerland
Initial Image, Yibo Gallery, Shanghai
2000 Chicago Art Fair, Chicago, USA
Shanghai 2000, Walsh Gallery, Chicago, USA
Shanghai Art Fair, Shanghai
Transcending Boundaries, MSU Art Gallery, Montclair State University, USA
Futuroe Chinese Contemporary Art, Macau
1999 Towards Materialism and That Sort of Beauty, Huadong Teachers ‘s College Gallery, Shanghai
New Idea of China Art Exhibition, Shanghai
BM99, Bienal da Maya, Maya, Portugal
Fortune Global Forum Contemporary Art Exhibit, Jinmao Bldg. Shanghai
China 46, Contemporary Chinese Art, Shanghai, Taipei, Melbourne, Australia
1998 Green Dog & Masters, Chinese Contemporary, London, UK
Chinesen Sehen Alle Gleich Aus, AAN Gallery, Berlin, Germany
China! , Touring Exhibition, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany
1997 One Country, Two Perspectives, Reunification 1997. Interpretations, Hong Kong
People’s Life in Big City, Shanghai
‘97 Chinese Contemporary Art, Yang Huang Art Museum, Beijing
China! , Touring Exhibition, Artist’s House, Vienna, Austria; Charlottenburg Exhibition Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark; Zacheta Modern Art Mudrum, Warsaw, Poland
1996 China! , Touring Exhibition, Kunstmuseum, Bonn, Germany
Beijing International Art Expo’, Beijing International Exhibition Centre, Beijing
96’ Chinese Modern Art Exhibition, Beijing
1994 Annual Exhibition, Huadong Teachers University
1993 Fourth Exhibition of Young Shanghai Artists, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai
Chinese Oil Paintings Biannual Exhibition, National Art Museum, Beijing
1989 Second Exhibition of Young Shanghai Artists, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai
1987 Young Artists from Shanghai and Australia, Armidale Art Museum, Australia