Art to go

• Source: Global Times
• [11:19 July 15 2010]
• Comments

In keeping with this DIY approach, Zheng added that they secured the containers from the docks that lay just a stone's throw from where the Shift exhibition now stands.

Shift's intention through this experiment is to reach a demographic that is not typi-cally exposed to art.

"Most exhibitions carry a whiff of elitism," Lu said. "We plan to throw exhibitions on the street, in shopping centers, downtown areas, schools, hospitals, anywhere public, in the hope that we make art more accessible to the public."

A work in progress

Although some of the project proposals in the show come off as slightly arcane due to a lack of clear context, other contributions offer food for thought. This dialogue of ideas is ultimately the point, according to Shift members.

"Ideas become more exciting when groups collaborate. It's fun to share the experience," Shift member Chen Hangfeng said.

This open-ended approach allows for Shift's future shows to evolve and take new directions. "We will stage another exhibition in the same place on August 8," Zheng said. "After that it's hard to say where we'll go next, but maybe Beijing."

Other shows on Shift's calendar include an "Art Expo" at the Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair in September and a dialogue between artists and the public that will explore different careers, values and social roles.

Wherever Shift takes to the road next, these young artists are intent on breaking down the normal barriers between artist and audience.

"Through Shift's shows, we hope to bring down the walls of museum exhibitions and to interact with the audience," Zheng said.

"The moving exhibition is an experiment. The variability of its outcome is what makes it attractive."