DEPARTING

On May 28 QI MU SPACE will host “Departing”, its third exhibition since its founding, presenting two site-specific installations by three architect: “C.No.2” by Wang Zhenfei and Wang Luming, and “Out of Place” by Chen Xia. From professional perspective, they draw on their hands-on experience and working methods as experienced architects, and by means of installation, they share with the audience their observation and reflection on the rapid development in the Chinese context.       

This exhibition focuses on the architectural experience, born of their working mode and thinking habits formed in objective conditions, not necessarily by interest. It is the observation and reflection from the perspective of architects that QI MU is aimed to highlight in this exhibition.   

From installation to exhibition planning and landscape architecture, and to large scale business building complexes, Wang Zhenfei is involved in more than one field dealing with the physical space in an abstract way based on mathematical and geometrical operation rules. “C.No.2” is a site-specific installation on the “regulation and control” practice that is particular to China and its result. Unlike other works in the same series, this one here are uniquely presented due to the time, the space and other conditions, but it nevertheless falls into the same group called “Family” , which operates under the same arithmetical rule, therefore another complete case in the architects’ line.  

Chen Xia, founder and general designer of landscape in Dadi Zhongyi Landscape Architecture Consultant Company, has witnessed the transformations urbanization has brought to China. In urban construction, landscape architecture, is usually built on municipal waste or the demolished quarters, playing the role of “blank filling”. “Out of Place” generally means sudden growth, rise or change. The main structure of this installation is made of material for disposable chopsticks, as high as two meters, with stainless steel as symbol for land. This work shows the architect’s reflection on rapid constructions and her observation and questioning of the corrupted infrastructure construction.   

About the artists: 

Wang Zhenfei graduated form School of Architecture, Tianjin University with a Bachelor’s Degree and got a Master’s degree from Berlage Institute of the Netherlands in 2007. He worked in UNStudio in the Netherlands before he came back to China in 2008 and founded HHD_FUN  with Wang Luming. As general architect of the company, he is also co-founder of  DADA, member of the Academic Committee of Digital Architect, Institute of Chinese Architects.    

Chen Xia graduated from School of Architect, CAFA, with a Bachelor’s degree (2006) and a master’s degree. In 2010 she opened Co-Forge Architecture Design Consulting Co.Ltd (Beijing) Architectural Design Consultation Company and worked as general architecture for landscape planning. In 2015 she founded LCA(Beijing) Landscape Consultanting Co.Ltd and has since then been working as general designer of landscape.