Eight years after its first two Franco-Chinese editions (“Les communautés flottantes” in 2015 and “Au sommet, le Verbe” in 2016), this special issue of LEAP, entitled “Habiter le Flux” (“不居”, two characters which, in Chinese, mean change, flux, impermanence), explores the relationship between a shifting global context and contemporary creation, examines the many facets and interweavings of Franco-Chinese artistic exchanges in recent years, and sheds light on the creation of Chinese artists in an unprecedented context of social, technological and environmental upheaval.
With contributions from artists (Shen Yuan, Cheng Xinyi, Alice Chen), philosophers (Emanuele Coccia, Wang Min’an), art theorists (Nicolas Bourriaud, Penny Yiou Peng), historians (Frédérique Aït-Touati, Nicolas Idier, Estelle Zhong Mengual), geographers and urban planners (Michel Lussault, Jérémie Descamps), curators (Gong Yan, Iris Long, Nie Xiaoyi). … this 300-page special issue (re)activates some of the deep connections existing between the French and Chinese cultural scenes in a post-pandemic context.
LEAP will be available from the Centre Pompidou bookshop from mid-November.
Roundtables at Centre Pompidou, Paris
Alongside the exhibition, two round tables were organized at the Centre Pompidou in partnership with LEAP and The Art Journal, two independent Chinese media dedicated to contemporary Asian art (Meta Media Group).
The first round table was entitled “From obscurity to recognition: women artists in the Chinese diaspora ” and took place on October 9, 2024. It brought together Shen Yuan, a Chinese artist living in France, Yao Qingmei, an artist living in France who is taking part in the exhibition “China, a new generation of artists”, Qiu Yun, a researcher, and Éric Lefebvre, director of the Musée Cernuschi. The discussion was moderated by Ye Ying, editor-in-chief of The Art Journal.
Éric Lefebvre spoke about the history of Chinese women who lived and studied in France in the early 20th century, and the place of women in the Musée Cernuschi’s collections. Shen Yuan and Yao Qingmei shared their experiences of living and working in France; Qiu Yun presented her observations on the exhibition of Chinese women artists “Half the Sky” organized at Bonn’s Frauenmuseum in 1996.
The second round table, organized by LEAP and the Centre Pompidou, was entitled “Habituer le flux. Envisaging contemporary Chinese creation “ and was held on October 10, 2024. Speakers included sinologist and professor at the Institut catholique de Paris Emmanuel Lincot, the curators of the exhibition “China: a new generation of artists” Philippe Bettinelli, Paul Frèches, Youyou Gu, and two of the exhibition’s artists, Nabuqi and Qiu Xiaofei. The discussion was moderated by He Jing, researcher, art critic, curator and editor-in-chief of the French-Chinese edition of LEAP magazine.
The teams of the Centre Pompidou and LEAP magazine jointly conceived this round table, which sought to deepen discussions and stimulate reflection on contemporary art in China and, more broadly, on China today. These questions have been addressed from multiple perspectives, crossing history and the present, art, technology, economics and ecology, and combining local and international viewpoints.
Further information on the Centre Pompidou’s dedicated web page
LEAP at the Art Week Paris
LEAP magazine was present at a number of events during Art Week Paris (October 14-20), a week in which Paris is packed with cultural events (fairs, openings of museum and gallery exhibitions, etc.) featuring modern and contemporary art.
In particular, LEAP had a stand at the Asia Now fair (October 17-20), one of the central events of Art Week Paris, which showcases contemporary creations by artists from Asia and the diaspora.
