刘国强：集中的涣散

–张培力

展览名“集中的涣散”是对这些思考的一次侧写与归纳，正如艺术家涉猎日常之物的创作方式。一种“横向坠落”的观察方式，使得艺术家的观察来源日常却角度刁钻。这种微妙的表达给了作品足够的专注感与松弛感，以引发观者自身更大的想象空间。从视觉的焦点到周围的弥散，从理解的精确到误解的模糊，从集中的专注到涣散的松弛，所有的物象都将是流动或模糊的，其中的焦点也会因人而异地扩散偏移。而在本次展览中，刘国强也正是通过这九件作品来反复讨论“集中”和“涣散”两者在“无聊时刻”中互为方法和因果的状态关系。

刘国强，1988年生于山东省，2011毕业于中国美术学院，现工作生活于杭州。

“Liu Guoqiang’s creative practice encompasses a rich array of mediums, yet his works visually appear to be concise, tranquil, and even self-restrained. Whether it’s installations, videos, static images, or paintings, his visual symbols consistently explore paradoxical relationships within time, movement, and physical dimensions, and the inherent limitations and absurdity of human perception. He endeavors to use the most minimalist language to describe his relentless pursuit of these enigmas, all while maintaining a subtle tension and appropriate elasticity in his expression.”

–Zhang Peili

The title “Focused distraction” is a glimpse and summary of these contemplations, just as the artist’s creative approach delves into everyday objects. The “horizontal falling” observation method allows the artist’s perspective to be both mundane and uniquely insightful. This subtle expression gives the works a sense of focused attention and relaxation, evoking greater imaginative space within the viewers themselves. From visual focal points to surrounding diffuseness, from precise understanding to ambiguous misconceptions, from concentrated focus to dispersed relaxation, all the elements within the works appear to be flowing or blurred, with the focal points also shifting and diffusing differently for each individual. In this exhibition, Liu Guoqiang repeatedly discusses the state relationship of “Concentration” and “Dispersion” as methods and consequences during “moments of boredom” through these nine pieces.

Liu Guoqiang was born in Shandong province in 1988. In 2011 he graduated from China Academy of Art.  Now he works and lives in Hangzhou.