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2023 “Nomad Relays” Contemporary Art Unit | Gade

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2023 “Nomad Relays” Contemporary Art Unit | Gade 崇真艺客

Introduction

Gade, born in Lhasa, Tibet in 1971, is an artist of Tibetan ethnicity. He is a member of the China Artists Association and serves as the Vice Chairman of the Tibet Artists Association. In 2003, he founded the Gedun Choephel Artists’ Guild. In 2016, he co-founded the Scorching Sun Art Lab along with contemporary artist Norbu Tsering. Gade, as the first advocate for contemporary Tibetan art through the Gedun Choephel Artists’ Guild, has gained recognition in numerous international group exhibitions and solo shows. Gade's works are also collected by many public and private institutions, including but not limited to the National Art Museum of China, Philadelphia Museum of Art, World Museum Liverpool, the Museum of Modern Art in Valencia, and White Rabbit Collection in Sydney. In 2010, he co-curated "Scorching Sun of Tibet: Contemporary Tibetan Art Show" with renowned Chinese art critic Li Xianting at the Songzhuang Art Center in Beijing. This exhibition marked the first major showcase of contemporary Tibetan art in Chinese Mainland.

Solo Exhibitions:

2008: "Mushroom Cloud," Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong.

2012: "Black Classic," Boers-Li Gallery, Beijing.

2016: "Bodhi Leaves and the Little Red Book," Rossi&Rossi Ltd, London, United Kingdom.

Group Exhibitions:

1995: "The World of the Dead" Contemporary Tibetan Painting Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan.

1998: " Han Shuli • Gade Exhibition," Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2002: "Visions of Tibet," Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Statten Island, New York, USA.

2002: "Transversing Cultures: Observation in Time and Space," Henry Street Settlement Abrons Art Center, New York, USA.

2007: "Consciousness and Form Tibetan Contemporary Art," Rossi & Rossi Ltd, London, UK.

2010: "Scorching Sun of Tibet," Songzhuang Art Center, Beijing, China.

2012: “All Our Relations,” 18th Sydney Biennale, Sydney, Australia.

2012: "Black Classic," Boers-Li Gallery, Beijing, China.

2014: Osaka Dojima River Biennale, Osaka, Japan.

2017: " Maitreya Karuna & Prajna," Shanghai Gallery of Art, Shanghai, China.

2018: “Mind Temple,” Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, Shanghai, China.

2018: " Tibet • Now," Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, China.

2019: "Discovering the Himalayas - Contemporary Tibetan Art Exhibition," Chengdu IFS, China.

Interview

It comes from an ancient linguistic system, which is the 'mother language system' of Tibetan art. Its vitality still exists, only interrupted and not yet activated.

I often metaphorize Tibetan art as a big tree, and I hope all my works grow and develop naturally on this tree.

——Gade

Artist Gade

Why did you once feel yourself like a painter, not on the ladder of human artistic development?

This is my experience from studying in New York more than 20 years ago. At that time, it was hard to see paintings displayed in art galleries or museums. I considered myself as a pioneer in art, still stuck in the era of modern art masters. However, their time had long passed. Suddenly, I felt like a person who had traveled from the Stone Age to the present. I felt out of sync with the development of art in this era, disconnected. It took a very long time to move from resistance, adaptation, and involvement to eventual reflection.

"The Spirits on the Cowhide Boat" 1996, Fabric composite materials

"Sagadawa Festival" 1997, Fabric composite materials

How do the significant changes in cultural ecology in the present era manifest in your work?

I am primarily concerned with the cultural changes in the region where I live because it is personally relevant to me. Of course, its changes are also closely related to the overall cultural landscape of the present era. Previously, my work mainly focused on depicting a past Tibet, or a Tibet that was imagined. Later, I found myself constantly creating a myth that I myself did not believe in. Meanwhile, my personal life and a real Tibet under the changes of the times have always been in a state of silence. This phenomenon is not only present in my work at that time, but also in the entire Tibetan-themed art and contemporary art creation in Tibet at that time.

"108 New Sutras" 2003, Handmade Tibetan Paper

"Making Gods " 2003, Bodhi Leaves

What is the world you observe today like?

This question is really difficult to answer. Sometimes, I don't even understand what kind of person I am, let alone observing the world. Moreover, our understanding of the world now relies more and more on fragmentary information from platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and TikTok.

"Ice Buddha Sculpture" 2006, Conceptual photograph

As a Tibetan artist, how do you balance or integrate visual language and ethnic cultural symbols?

I've noticed that some contemporary artists in China tend to reject the incorporation of ethnic cultural symbols in their artworks. This phenomenon has its pros and cons, the advantage being a more international language, while the disadvantage is the loss of identity. Especially for our Tibetan artists because of the existence of their cultural genes. Deliberate avoidance is actually a kind of falsehood.

"Black Classic Series" 2013, Paper cutting on Handmade Tibetan Paper

Regarding the integration of traditional Tibetan artistic language into the context of contemporary art, could you share your thoughts and insights?

Introducing traditional Tibetan artistic language into the context of contemporary art has always been the direction I am trying. I am still fascinated by the way traditional Tibetan art emphasizes the technique of detail and the function of narrative, which is captivating. This is often overlooked or not valued in Western art and Chinese literati painting, but I want to continue this complex narrative style because it can express my intentions well. It comes from an ancient language system, which is the "mother tongue system" of Tibetan art, and its vitality still exists, but it has been interrupted and not yet activated. It has its own unique language system and value system. I often liken Tibetan art to a big tree, and I hope all my works are naturally grown on this tree.

"New Scriptures" 2014, Installation Art

"One Million Questions" 2014, Handmade Book

What impact do you think the new artistic trends will have on traditional or local culture?

The traditional art of Tibet essentially serves religion. Art can introduce a spiritual perspective, but should not overly associate Tibetan contemporary art with religion. After all, contemporary art upholds the modern position of the Enlightenment tradition, emphasizing human subjectivity and self-consciousness. From this perspective, the core values of contemporary art are different from religious conversion. The introduction of new art trends aims to strongly avoid replacing the values and development space of contemporary art with the perspective of religious art.

"Prayer Beads Series" 2016-2017, Material: Prayer beads

How should we understand your previous mention of "emphasizing native expression without emphasizing ethnicity"?

The development of the art history of all ethnic groups is rooted in their own cultural heritage. Therefore, contemporary Tibetan art should not be a replica of Western contemporary art. It has its own language system and value system. However, it should avoid becoming narrow nationalism. Of course, from a macro perspective, ethnicity is a cultural identity, but culture is not inherently fixed and unchanging. Culture has always been addressing real problems and constantly changing. Therefore, emphasizing the expression of mother tongue does not emphasize ethnicity, but rather represents multiculturalism within the universal framework of world culture.

"Empty Form Series" 2019, High-Density Polyethylene Foam Board

How do you embark on the new stage of creative practice after letting go of the burden of innovation?

Over the years, I have increasingly felt the differences between the innovative and tradition-subverting practices advocated by Western art discourse and the culture of Eastern nations. My own art education has been largely Western, from techniques to concepts. Even my aesthetic judgments tend to involuntarily assess and define based on Western artistic values. My understanding of our own art falls far below that of Western art. What then is the contemporaneity of our own art? I often wonder how a Tibetan artist, who has never received Western art education, would face the challenges of this era. With what attitude and methods would they create art? When we remove the burden of necessity for innovation and surpassing predecessors, and quietly complete each work, does this "like a practice" method of creation focus more on the relationship with personal life experiences in each work? Or would it fall into another kind of thinking trap, verging on obsession?

2023 “Nomad Relays” Contemporary Art Unit | Gade 崇真艺客

"Scorching Sun of Tibet" Contemporary Art Exhibition, 2010

"Heart Altar City" Tibetan Contemporary Art Exhibition, the Scorching Sun Art Lab, 2016

From the "Scorching Sun of Tibet" to "Echoes of Mt. Qomolangma," how do you perceive the transformation and context of Tibetan contemporary art? And what are your expectations for the future?

The "Scorching Sun of Tibet" is the first collective appearance of contemporary Tibetan art in Chinese mainland, serving more as a declaration of contemporary Tibetan art or a collective voice. In addition, with Curator Li Xianting serving as the overall planner and academic advisor, there are strict limitations on the selection of works, making clear distinctions between contemporary and modern art. The emphasis is placed on the artist's personal unique artistic expression and their relationship with the era and themselves. The exhibition focuses on the connection between overall culture and the artists' living conditions. Previous artistic phenomena are only presented as an academic background.

"Echoes of Mt. Qomolangma" is what we call the Contemporary Art Exhibition of Present-day Tibet, encompassing a broader perspective. From the peaceful liberation of Tibet in the 1950s to the present generation of artists born in the '90s and '00s, the emphasis is not solely on the expression of individual works but rather on the historical documentation within each period. We aim to provide an overall presentation through a clear context. For each period in Tibet, we intend to conduct a systematic compilation of significant art events, art trends, important artists, and notable works.