Sun Xun
Beijing, China
ARTIST STATEMENT
We
always make thorough enquiry about history. But when history is past and
distant-such as a second, a minute, an hour, one day, one year, even a
century-then the enquiry itself will be much more sincere and exciting than the
answer. Our perspective on the world is in useless changing. We, all the
people, are in hesitating and homeless situation. Everyone is a wanderer.
21 KE was produced by SUN Xun and π Animation Studio four years after its commencement, in which the artist and his team invested the dream of animate creation by pursuit in technique and exploration in artistic language. Themed with "the weight of soul", the video guided its viewers into a journey that probed for the very origin of the value of self-existence. The experimental "animation film" was mainly completed by pastel on canvas. Presented with exquisite and rich texture that constituted black and white images, and rendered by background music composed with human voice, sound of machines, noise of riots and other restless factors, 21 KE introduced to its spectators an overwhelming audiovisual experience. SUN Xun commented on this piece that “in 21 KE, time is abandoned by history and soul is lost by us..." The artist attempted to reflect on the existence of self and history by the production of a series of scenarios and events appearing ridiculous and yet familiar, as well as the establishment of the relationship between personal experience and grande narration.
Artist has exhibited his works in "Orizzonti" section at the 67th Venice International Film Festival, solo exhibition 21 KE (2010, Minsheng Art Museum), Beyond-ism (2011, ShanghART Beijing), After Doctrine (2010, Yokohama Creative City Centre) and SUN Xun – Shock of Time (2009, Drawing Center, New York) and so on.
21 KE was shown in 67th Venice International Film Festival in Italy, Art Basel Miami Beach in U.S.A., Tales from the New Chinese Cinema in New York, PhotoEspana 2011 in Madrid, Impossible Universe in Brisbane and Hell (Helvete) in Stockholm and so forth.
21 KE was produced by SUN Xun and π Animation Studio four years after its commencement, in which the artist and his team invested the dream of animate creation by pursuit in technique and exploration in artistic language. Themed with "the weight of soul", the video guided its viewers into a journey that probed for the very origin of the value of self-existence. The experimental "animation film" was mainly completed by pastel on canvas. Presented with exquisite and rich texture that constituted black and white images, and rendered by background music composed with human voice, sound of machines, noise of riots and other restless factors, 21 KE introduced to its spectators an overwhelming audiovisual experience. SUN Xun commented on this piece that “in 21 KE, time is abandoned by history and soul is lost by us..." The artist attempted to reflect on the existence of self and history by the production of a series of scenarios and events appearing ridiculous and yet familiar, as well as the establishment of the relationship between personal experience and grande narration.
Artist has exhibited his works in "Orizzonti" section at the 67th Venice International Film Festival, solo exhibition 21 KE (2010, Minsheng Art Museum), Beyond-ism (2011, ShanghART Beijing), After Doctrine (2010, Yokohama Creative City Centre) and SUN Xun – Shock of Time (2009, Drawing Center, New York) and so on.
21 KE was shown in 67th Venice International Film Festival in Italy, Art Basel Miami Beach in U.S.A., Tales from the New Chinese Cinema in New York, PhotoEspana 2011 in Madrid, Impossible Universe in Brisbane and Hell (Helvete) in Stockholm and so forth.
BIO
Sun Xun creates videos and animation films from his meticulous, highly detailed, and often monochromatic, hand drawings executed in ink, oil, and crayon. Drawing on the ideas of thinkers like Karl Marx, Theodor Adorno, and Max Horkheimer, Sun investigates revolution, existence, mythologies of society, the notion of time, and the construction and narration of history. Often in a style of magical realism, Sun’s works are full of metaphors and indirect visual associations that beg to be deciphered. He graduated from the print making department of the China Academy of Fine Art in 2005, and, a year later, established ? Animation Studio. He has received several awards including the “Chinese Contemporary Art Awards (CCAA Best Young Artist)” and “Taiwan Contemporary Art Link Young Art Award,” both in 2010.