亦安画廊北京将于10月18日展出 帝国的宠物- 赵继锋。

熊猫被视为中国的象征，1970年代，中国出借熊猫给美国和日本的动物园，被视为新中国和西方国家的初次交流，也是中国开展外交的重要环节；熊猫，代表中国的宠物，在世界各地受到广大群众的欢迎和喜爱，除了其可爱特征外，也反映西方对于闭锁的中国的好奇和期待；但熊猫租借同时带来更多的冲突－出借所获得的巨大经济利润导致变相捕抓熊猫；而出借熊猫究竟只是中国内政的问题，外国政府及国际保育团体是否可以干涉，也激起政治上的对立。

赵继锋描绘的熊猫反映帝国宠物的冲突：可爱、俏皮的熊猫在赵继锋笔下展现出凶残、暴戾的本性，被人争相宠抱的熊猫则让人反思1970年代熊猫出借的过去。

如今，中国因经济发展和奥运成功改变让世界更了解中国，各国首相奥运期间纷纷拜会胡锦涛宛如古时朝贡，另一方面，熊猫出借因保育意识高涨而停止，世界对于帝国宠物的热衷逐渐从外交热潮转移到文化符号。赵继锋新作中拟人化了的熊猫表达了此一转移过程，带给观者新的思考。


其它相关展览资料, 请联络 aura@aura-art.com 

Aura Gallery Beijing is pleased to present Zhao Jifeng Empire Pet from October 18 to November 16.

Giant pandas has been taken as the symbol of China. In 1970’s, loans of giant pandas to American and Japanese zoos formed an important part of the diplomacy of China. It marked the first cultural exchanges between China and the West at that time. Panda, loved by people all over the world, became the reflection of the curiosity from the West toward closed China. However, the panda diplomacy also brought up more conflicts. The huge profits of panda loans encouraged China to capture wild pandas. Moreover, the debate of loans of giant pandas between China and WWF become political oppositions.

The pandas depicted by Zhao Jifeng show the conflicts from the empire pets: the cute, lovely panda appears its fierce nature, the panda doted by the tourists explains it is the sacrifice of the diplomacy. Furthermore, the pandas lying under the politician also strongly criticize this inhuman fact.

Today, the West has changed their opinions to China due to the Olympics and the development of economy, while the loans of giant pandas have been forbidden. The world treats the empire pets not as the diplomacy items any more but as the consumer icons. The latest works of Zhao Jifeng present the change as well.

For more information, please contact   aura@aura-art.com