Siu Jianguo - Slanted Paradise
Den Haag onder de Hemel (‘The Hague under Heaven’) is the title of this wonderful exhibition of modern Chinese sculpture.
Large scale contemporary works by some of China’s leading artists are lined up under the linden trees in one of Nederland’s most beautiful streets – Lange Voorhout.
Lange Voorhout. If there's a more beautiful street in the Netherlands (okay, not counting those with canals) please tell me about it.
A sculpture exhibition on this street is an annual event, to which we make an annual pilgrimage, but I have to say Mevrouw T and I have sometimes been a little disappointed with the artistic offerings.
Not this year…
Yue Minjun - Flexible Latitude 2010
Cang Xin - Hitting Things just with Qi. No idea what that means, but it's an impressive image anyway
Wang Lia - The National Treasure
Jiang Xingtao - Gift from Heaven. I didn't understand what this was about until I saw the corner close up...
...something to do with all that stuff being Made in China at considerable human cost, I guess.
Linked to the open air exhibition is a retrospective in The Hague’s Museum Beelden aan Zee (Sculptures by the Sea Museum) by Sui Jianguo.
Siu Jianguo - Limited Moving. I love this huge ball, groaning slightly as it rolls around, occasionally clanking into the bars of its cage.
And how about these classical slaves, dressed in Mao suits?
The star turn for a Dutch audience. Sui Jianguo was given a plate, on which were painted idealised images of a Dutch idyll. He liked the idea of giving this paradise his own slant.
We and the rest of the world are bound to see a lot of new Chinese art in the future. It’s very exciting, refreshing and challenging.
Well done, Den Haag, for bringing it to us!
That beautiful street looks like the walls of Lucca with the linden trees. I’m not always a fan of contemporary art either, but this looks great.
Ah yes, those linden trees. They bump up real estate prices along so many streets, as does an avenue of plane trees.
That was most curious, Richard – what an unusual exhibition.
And really like that avenue with its trees – Lange Voorhout? – beautiful and serene.
Thanks, Regine. Visitors sometimes find Den Haag a little stiff, formal and dull compared to lively Amsterdam, but there is much to recommend it too. Beautiful streets, great architecture and interesting art museums.
I loved the exhibition too Richard. Wandered through it after a visit to the Bredius Museum ( in connection with Han van Meegeren.) There was also an antiques market so the day was anything but dull for me!
Yes, Yvonne, that antiques market in Den Haag is also quite an institution. We enjoyed that too.
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