Song Dong's 36 Calendars.

On 2 Feb, 2013 we went to the ArtisTree in Quarry Bay to visit the first solo exhibition of Beijing-based artist Song Dong. It’s co-presented by Asia Art Archive and the West Kowloon Cultural District’s Mobile M+. 
It’s called “Song Dong: 36 Calendars”.

Song Dong has created the 36 Calendars in the form of hand-drawn, wire-bound annual household wall calendars. He has reviewed his version of history from 1978, when he was 12, until this year. 

The Mayan apocalypse sparks his idea to create “Song Dong: 36 Calendars” as he doesn't believe in the apocalyptic prediction. Instead he takes the meaning of time and history into his own hands by literally rewriting the years. The calendar records Song's personal perspective, as well as social issues, political, and art history.

I myself fancy such a tactile texture of pencil strokes. Sketching is good-natured that make people feel familiar.  The tone of the entire work is very sincere, which builds a comfortable atmosphere for the audiences to look into the history, and also the story of Song's life.Looking through the calenders is just like reading his autobiography. The audiences could easily be sympathetic when seeing his note and sketching towards some significant issues, for instance, the  June Fourth Incident and the death of Steven Jobs. 

I am particularly impressed by some the calenders. One is about Song's father's death on Aug 2002. The video tape represents his last touch with his father. the whole picture is simple, but very heart-stirring. I immediately associated the video tape with the cassette tapes from my father, because it is my father to share his favorite music to me via playing cassette tapes. In our life there maybe some objects means nothing to others but only means a lot to certain individuals. 

Some other sheets of calenders his about the progress of his project: writing diary on stones with water. I write diary so as to recorder my life experience, it makes me wonder the idea of using  water to do this deed, just like he mentioned his father challenged him about the usefulness of writing with water. Although the words disappear seemingly, Song thinks that thee ought to be something remain, perhaps is the clear memories on the experiences, or the feeling after writhing...anyway, it maybe a good way to write daily, as you don't need to worry the your intimate records will be seen by others. 

To be frank, i have never heard about Song Dong before this exhibition, but I have learnt a lot about him just after one exhibition. I think it is an amazing part of art, that you can really step into the artist's world to experience what he/she has experienced. The exhibition started by an collective event on 21 Jan, inviting 432 people to write history together. Each will be given a month of the 432 months of the calendars sketched by Song Dong, and together the participants will add their own memories to the month with images or words. Surprisingly, I found their works very interesting.

This is a good example of participle art, that welcome audience to add their own elements on the artist's work, so that everyone can also become an artist. it definitely can achieve further engagement from the audience. Which is also an important feature of contemporary art: relational aesthetic, that is not onlt create a piece of work,but to create impact on people through interaction.

I enjoy this exhibition a lot that I spent the whole morning in it, probably I am the classmate who leave at last.