Catalogue published in conjunction with the exhibition 'Action–Camera: Beijing Performance Photography' at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, the University of British Columbia from January to April 2009.

'"Action–Camera: Beijing Performance Photography" examines the trajectory from the discreet underground performance art community centered in Beijing’s "East Village" in the early 1990s, to a current internationally recognised practice.

Performance art in China during the early 1990s represented a moment when the avant-garde resurfaced in a powerful way in order to break with the past and to forge new artistic directions within a rapidly evolving society. Many of these performances were recorded by photography and video to provide a document. These early photographs were not necessarily intended to be presented as artwork, yet have emerged as such in various exhibitions. The artists were quick to acknowledge the power of the photograph and increasingly looked to photography as an integral component of their live performance work.

By the late 1990s, performance art became a more clearly defined practice, and for many artists the photograph functioned not only as a document, but also as a work of art in itself. As a further development, many performances were specifically created for the camera rather than a live audience—the viewer’s access to the "performance" was exclusively through the photograph. The shift from live performance to staged photograph and the reasons behind it are a central anchor to this exhibition.' - from publisher's website.

Includes artists' biographies.

Access level

Onsite

Location code
EX.CAN.ACC
Language

English

Publication/Creation date

2009

No of pages

112

ISBN / ISSN

9780888658012

No of copies

1

Content type

catalogue

Chapter headings

Action-Camera: Beijing Performance Photography - Keith WALLACE

Contemporary Chinese Art 'After' Performance Art - Thomas J. BERGHUIS

Public Action Art, Performative Interventions, and the Transformation of the Chinese Public Sphere - Maya KOVSKAYA

Action-Camera: Beijing Performance Photography
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Action-Camera: Beijing Performance Photography