Art and authoritarianism in Auckland
As New Zealand is buffeted by the effects of Trump-style international diplomacy, Auckland is hosting an art exhibition dealing with another form of authoritarian politics.
Auckland Art Gallery presents Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now, a major survey of Chinese contemporary art featuring 67 works by 42 artists. It opens on May 2 and runs until August 23.
One of the headline stars is Xiao Lu, who rose to fame in 1989 with her work Dialogue which shows a man and a woman talking to each other in phone booths. Between them is a red phone with its receiver dangling off the hook.
That had obvious commentary on the Chinese political system. She added to that by going into the venue with a gun just two hours after the exhibition opened, shooting her own work twice.
It caused an immediate shutdown of the exhibition. Four months later when the Tiananmen Square massacre occurred, her action shooting her art became even more politicized, referred to as “the first gunshots of Tiananmen”.
She’s still seeing the world around us in its political context and said Auckland hosting this exhibition had a political layer to it.
“I lived through that era [Tiananmen Square], and the yearning for democracy and freedom is deeply buried in my memory, influencing my lifelong pursuit,” she said.
“However, recent changes in the world situation, especially the actions of the Trump administration in the United States, have overturned some of the most basic concepts of democracy.
“Attending a group exhibition in London this June reminded me of the Magna Carta, as it is one of the cornerstones of modern democracy. One passage from Article 40 particularly struck me: ‘I will not sell, refuse, or delay to anyone rights or justice.’ The relationship between power and justice is the cornerstone of democracy; it refuses to sell or delay,” Xiao said.
“And these precepts established by our ancestors are being gradually eroded. However, as the US-centric world order gradually fragments, a multi-centric world order will emerge. The fact that New Zealand is hosting such an important large-scale exhibition of contemporary Chinese art already illustrates this shift.”
She has never been to New Zealand, but said it was well known in China.
“With the recent instability of the world situation, social media often features questions like, ‘If war breaks out, which countries are the safest?’ Different countries appear, but New Zealand consistently ranks among the safest.”
Her positive view of our country may surprise and possibly embarrass some in how she expresses it.
“People are sometimes drawn to contrasts, and New Zealand is a perfect example. As Hu Shi famously said, ‘A good system makes people good, a bad system makes people evil’.
“I believe that in a society with a beautiful natural environment and a democratic and free system, human nature tends towards goodness. Here, far from the hustle and bustle of the world, it's easier to listen to the voice of one's inner self and nature. Regardless of external opinions about New Zealand, I believe that on this land, there must be pure voices calling to the goodness of humanity. I will visit with great interest.”
She also said the issues facing China now were different from the repression leading into the protests at Tiananmen, but are still taking their toll.
“In today's China, with increasingly strict ideological control, people's sense of powerlessness has led to numbness and a pragmatic approach. As the economy declines, young people are feeling more lost and disoriented, leading to the current trend of ‘lying flat’ (a Chinese expression for being complacent and passive).”
It is this tension within China that is at the heart of the Auckland Art Gallery exhibition.
Dr Zara Stanhope, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Director of Auckland Art Gallery, said Forever Tomorrow features “a wide range of works that reveal how Chinese artists reflected the seismic shifts that have recently taken place in China and in its relationships with the world”.
“This exhibition resonates in Aotearoa and in Tāmaki Makaurau as we grow in cultural diversity and understanding, and in the dynamic cultural experiences it offers that touch us all.”
The exhibition has been curated by Hutch Wilco of Auckland Art Gallery with support from Feng Boyi, a prominent curator and critic who previously served as director of the He Xiangning Art Museum and Suzhou Jinji Lake Art Museum.
Wilco said: “Forever Tomorrow brings together powerful works that register lived experience — labour, migration, family, intimacy, and technology. Spanning generations, the exhibition reveals how artists have given form to the emotional and psychological dimensions of everyday life. Together, these works offer a compelling portrait of contemporary experience, inviting audiences to reflect on how these changes continue to shape individual lives and shared futures.”
The exhibition features work by Xiao Lu, Ai Weiwei, Xu Zhen and Cao Fei, alongside artists exhibiting in Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time including Lu Pingyuan, Pu Yingwei, Xiyadie, Lu Yang and 2023 Sigg Prize winner Wang Tuo.
The exhibition draws extensively on the White Rabbit Collection from Sydney and the M+ Sigg Collection in Hong Kong, with other works coming directly from artists and their representative galleries.
Forever Tomorrow will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue featuring essays and artist profiles, available exclusively from the Gallery’s Shop.
The exhibition is proudly supported by the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation and the New Zealand Government’s Events Boost Fund.
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