Crossing Beijing 2008-2009

October 2008 – May 2009: “Crossing Beijing”, live painting performance, Beijing, China.

The artist selected 11 venues in Beijing that, ideally located on a line crossing the map of Beijing from Northwest to Southeast, are relevant for historical, political, cultural and emotional reasons. Starting from Shangzhuang, Hebeicun, the village in which Meng Huang lives and works, each of the selected locations is transposed in 11 landscape paintings executed en plain air.

As a conceptual choice, the closer the chosen location is to the political center, Tian’anmen Square, the smaller the size of each canvas becomes. Where “Crossing Beijing No. 1 – Sahngzhuang” (2008) measures 400 x 220 cm, for example, “Crossing Beijing No. 6 – Tian’anmen” (2009) has a size of 15.5 x 25.5 cm.

Nataline Colonnello