A Working Redisplay

Long March Archive

Time: November 15 – 30, 2018

Location: Long March Space, Beijing (formerly known as 25000 Cultural Transmission Center)

Click to view Exhibition PDF

Long March Object refers to material objects created during or incorporated into “Long March – A Walking Visual Display”. Key to this concept is the non-distinction between “artworks” created by “artists” selected for formal participation and objects which enter the collective consciousness of The Long March by happenstance. (A Long March Glossary, 2002)

Since 2002, the activities of the Long March Project, under its various curatorial projects and dynamic exhibition programs, have led to the production of a diverse group of artworks and other objects. “Long March Project: A Working Redisplay” is the gathering of these “Long March Objects” into a workspace open to the public. During two weeks of work, Long March Project will re-examine, organize, and archive these items, streamlining the filing process while also displaying the results. Undergoing the passage of time and changes in space, the context of and ways of seeing these objects have passed through many transformations, opening up the possibility of new avenues for investigating related topics. This program is the first comprehensive display of all artworks and objects left behind by the Long March Project. The excavation of Long March Objects is akin to an archaeological dig, yet one in which the discoveries will immediately be displayed for viewers.

The definition of Long March Object means that within the project, there is no disparity in importance between formal artworks and non-artworks, with neither placed in a position of primacy. Therefore the objects are allowed to release their potential as bearers of collective memory. This “redisplay” temporarily removes objects from their context, but also implies a second sense of context: a continuous type of “work” that stretches the concept of the archive to its limit. Going through the process of “display – archiving – redisplay” the scene of the excavation becomes a “lieu de mémoire” (a site of memory), with new perceptions and interpretations of the objects generated by the flow of the work process.

 

The definition of Long March Object means that within the project, there is no disparity in importance between formal artworks and non-artworks, with neither placed in a position of primacy. Therefore the objects are allowed to release their potential as bearers of collective memory. This “redisplay” temporarily removes objects from their context, but also implies a second sense of context: a continuous type of “work” that stretches the concept of the archive to its limit. Going through the process of “display – archiving – redisplay” the scene of the excavation becomes a “lieu de mémoire” (a site of memory), with new perceptions and interpretations of the objects generated by the flow of the work process.

Since its first exhibition in 2003 at 25000 Cultural Transmission Center, the project’s the first permanent public location, Long March Project has been focused on widely relevant contemporary issues, while creating multi-faceted scenarios that foster open and progressive discourses. Following the “Building Code Violations III – Special Economic Zone” exhibitions and “A Working Redisplay” this year, in 2019 Long March Project plans to launch a series of research-centric programs anchored in contemporary visual culture and conceptual practice, including a writers’ residency, commissioned work, workshops, publications, and themed exhibitions.

Click to view related publication(s)

Since 2002, the activities of the Long March Project, under its various curatorial projects and dynamic exhibition programs, have led to the production of a diverse group of artworks and other objects. “Long March Project: A Working Redisplay” is the gathering of these “Long March Objects” into a workspace open to the public. During two weeks of work, Long March Project will re-examine, organize, and archive these items, streamlining the filing process while also displaying the results. Undergoing the passage of time and changes in space, the context of and ways of seeing these objects have passed through many transformations, opening up the possibility of new avenues for investigating related topics. This program is the first comprehensive display of all artworks and objects left behind by the Long March Project. The excavation of Long March Objects is akin to an archaeological dig, yet one in which the discoveries will immediately be displayed for viewers.

The definition of Long March Object means that within the project, there is no disparity in importance between formal artworks and non-artworks, with neither placed in a position of primacy. Therefore the objects are allowed to release their potential as bearers of collective memory. This “redisplay” temporarily removes objects from their context, but also implies a second sense of context: a continuous type of “work” that stretches the concept of the archive to its limit. Going through the process of “display – archiving – redisplay” the scene of the excavation becomes a “lieu de mémoire” (a site of memory), with new perceptions and interpretations of the objects generated by the flow of the work process.