Art Critic's London Gallery Tour Reveals Cultural Tensions and Artistic Identity Debates
In June 2016, an art writer, seeking to enhance his cultural awareness following a critique, explored exhibitions in London. He started at the ICA, where he encountered Guan Xiao's 'Flattened Metal,' which included silver boxes and the phrase 'Is this outfit more Mary or Martha?'—a loose interpretation of a Chinese proverb. Guan Xiao remarked, 'Identity is just bullshit.' Next, he visited Tate Modern to view Bhupen Khakhar's 'You Can't Please All,' which featured paintings of nude Indian men. At El Vino's wine bar, he had a conversation about his 'photo-klaxon' game, which drew criticism regarding cultural diversity. A minor dispute over a £1 entry fee occurred at the ICA. This experience was recorded for ArtReview on June 16, 2016.
Key facts
- Guan Xiao's exhibition 'Flattened Metal' was showing at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)
- Bhupen Khakhar's exhibition 'You Can't Please All' was presented at the old section of Tate Modern
- The writer invented a 'photo-klaxon' game at the inaugural Paris Photo in 1997
- Guan Xiao stated 'Identity is just bullshit' in an interview about escaping Chinese artist categorization
- The article was published as an online exclusive on June 16, 2016
- The writer was charged £1 admission at ICA, leading to a physical altercation with staff
- Khakhar's exhibition included paintings of nude Indian men in various scenes
- The writer interpreted exhibition elements through Chinese proverbs including 'when you drink the water, remember the spring'
Entities
Artists
- Guan Xiao
- Bhupen Khakhar
- Gypsy Boy McCrory
Institutions
- Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)
- Tate Modern
- Paris Photo
- Photo London
- Glasgow International
- ArtReview
- El Vino's
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Fleet Street
- Thames
- France
- India
- Glasgow
- Scotland
- South-east London