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054
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TEXT / Zian Chen
INSTITUTIONAL CRITIQUE
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has uonc in Hangzhou ovcv thc ast six ycavs; in fact, this is what
nalcs thc ovganization uiffcvcnt. Bcfovc it was callcu Jnna Contcn-
ovavy Avt Sacc, it was Jnna Photo anu Coy, a sho locatcu ncxt to
thc Nanshan Canus of China Acaucny of Avt that was wcll-lnown
anong local avtists anu stuucnts fov thc vccision of its colov fln
ucvcloing. Jn its own cviouicals thc ovganization vcfcvs to itsclf as
a gallcvy, anu Xu Yiying, thc nanagcv of thc sacc, has, in vcccnt
ycavs, avticiatcu in scvcval avt faivs. Jn auuition, a vogvan callcu
Jnna \ovlsho has voviucu long-tcvn suovt fov avtists by subsi-
uizing stuuio costs.
Ocn fov six ycavs, Jnna has vcccntly announccu thc tcno-
vavy closuvc of thciv oviginal nain gallcvy, lcaving ocn only a sacc
on Iiuhc Roau on thc outslivts of Hangzhou. 1his voviucs an o-
ovtunity to lool bacl at thciv ocvations, which can bc uiviucu
into two cvious of thvcc ycavs cach. \hcn Jnna fvst ocncu its avt
sacc in 200S it still hau a coy nachinc, a vcninucv of its lifc as a
hoto anu coy sho. A ublic nuval vojcct by aintcv Chcn Dong-
fan showcu that thcy cavcu about thc cxtcvnal uvban cnvivonncnt
of Hangzhou; sincc 2011, whcn Jnna was convcvtcu into a gallcvy
sacc, its vogvan has bccn gcavcu novc towavus tvying to fnu a
clicnt basc thvough convcntional conncvcial ncthous. Zhou Yilun's
RPM' collcction of clothcs nauc fvon vccyclcu natcvials, fov cx-
anlc, tuvncu Jnna into a o-u stovc, whilc \u ]unyong's Pvoj-
cct DRJPS' stavtcu on \cibo, a ucsign vojcct not unlilc cultuvc
1O SOME EX1EN1, altcvnativc avt saccs havc always uviftcu
in thc gvay avca bctwccn institutions anu cvsonalitics: thcy avc of-
tcn stavtcu by an inuiviuual, but thciv institutional asccts nust bc
unucvstoou in tcvns of inuiviuuals ovganizing thcnsclvcs, by which
tolcn thc wovl of an inuiviuual can conc to bc ucfncu as insti-
tutional. Iov Jnna, this gvay avca bcgins with thc anbiguity of its
catcgovization as a contcnovavy avt sacc,' which uocs not ucfnc
itsclf clcavly as cithcv an avt gallcvy ov a not-fov-voft cvcativc ovga-
nization. Jt is anbiguous cvcn fov thosc faniliav with thc wovl Jnna
|__[_[
Inna Contemporary Art Space
|
Inna Contemporary Art Space`s independent publications
,|jR3PM3|
Zhou Yilun,R3PM3,exhibition view
0 5 6 057
INSTITUTIONAL CRITIQUE
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janning-cxcct thc avt was fov salc. Jn its cxhibition vogvan of
thc ast two ycavs, Jnna has consistcntly ositioncu itsclf in thc ga
bctwccn conncvcial vouucts anu non-avt wovls, anu Xu Yiying
has nauc it clcav that thcy nust instill a uvchasing habit in thciv vis-
itovs. Although Jnna is not a gallcvy in thc stvictcst scnsc, this snall
conncvcial cntcvvisc tvuly givcs voicc to snall-scalc cnucavovs that
coulu not havc bccn cxccutcu in a vocv gallcvy contcxt.
Iocatcu ncxt to \cst Ialc, it is casy fov visitovs to ass by thc
oviginal Jnna sacc on thciv way thvough Qinghc Ianc. Iloov-to-
cciling winuows vccall a sho winuow; stanuing in thc sacc, which
is only fvc ov six accs wiuc, onc oftcn sccs Xu Yiying's sistcv wcav-
ing a t-shivt with an Jnna logo. 1hc siucwall in fvont of thc stovc
acavs biggcv by contvast. Jt is saiu that, until it canc to thc attcn-
tion of thc city govcvnncnt cnfovccncnt offccvs, in thc cavly ycavs
thciv cxhibitions svcau out onto thc siucwall. 1his cxansion nay
havc a ucccv signifcancc: fov Jnna, thc nost incquitablc ascct of
thc Hangzhou avt sccnc is thc lavgc nunbcv of avtists conavcu to
insuffcicnt auuicnccs fov avt. 1his uisavity bctwccn vouuccvs anu
consuncvs nauc Xu consiucv thc issuc of cxovting local cvcativ-
ity. Bascu on this vincilc, nany of thc avtists who wovl with Xu,
incluuing Chcn Dongfan, all conc fvon local avt schools. 1hc lcvcl
of activity fvon local avtists is clcav fvon Jnna's aclcu schcuulc: in
]unc 2014 alonc, thcy hclu thvcc succcssivc cxhibitions in thc Hc-
fang Stvcct sacc. Xu always cvsonally lans cach cxhibition, anu
fvcqucntly visits thc stuuios of avtists in Hangzhou. Many asccts
of thc fnal show at thc oviginal Jnna sacc, Notcs, Coovuinatcs,'
gvcw out of long-tcvn ncctings anu uiscussions. On thc othcv hanu,
a fcw wccls cavlicv, Jntcvnational Avtists in Dctcntion' ucnon-
stvatcu thc auvantagcs of a snall ovganization: it is cxiblc anu can
auat quiclly. A gvou fvon thc Ncw Mcuia ucavtncnt at China
Acaucny of Avt uscu Jnna's sacc as thc sct fov a shovt fln, which
thcy sinultancously showcu uuving a 10-uay uctcntion cviou.'
Although not a conlctcly ncw iuca, thciv 10-ninutc fln, shot not
long bcfovc, was quiclly noticcu anu svcau thvough social ncuia
channcls on thc intcvnct, soncwhat alin to thc stylc of thc Doublc
Ily avt collcctivc.
Although cxhibitions cnjoy a high ucgvcc of fvccuon, bchinu
thc sccncs Xu Yiying anu avtist Chcn Dongfan wovl on nany as-
ccts of lanning anu connunication. 1his ucnanu on thciv tinc
anu cffovts, conbincu with low vcvcnucs unablc to covcv cxcnscs,
has fovccu Jnna to changc its noucl aftcv bcing in busincss fov six
ycavs. \ntil thcy announccu a suscnsion of thciv activitics, Jnna
wovlcu on a attcvn of 20 shows a ycav anu sccuy ublicity, vov-
ing that a snall ovganization can ut on an cxhibition at low cost.
1his vacticc of lccing costs uown anu naintaining shovt ublicity
cyclcs accovucu Jnna thc cxibility of an avtists' coocvativc. \ith
vcssuvcs hocfully vcuuccu thvough thc closuvc of thc sacc, it is
wovth vc-cxanining thc vincilcs of gvayncss anu cxibility, thc
ath of inuiviuuality that Xu Yiying has unintcntionally talcn ovcv
thc ast six ycavs. (1vanslatcu by Vancssa Nolan)
,|.2010
BOTTOM:A Lake of Mirror,exhibition view, 2010
,_[,_]
TOP: No. 1 Space farewell exhibitionNotes, Coordonates
j__|,_L|j|
ShootingInternational Artists in Detention