At once an artist, curator, poet and archivist, Li Yuan-chia’s inclusive approach to art and life anticipated the attitude and practice of many of today’s contemporary artists. Defying easy categorisation, he has tended to slip through and between the histories of art. Yet, Li Yuan-chia ranks among the most original and radical of post-war artists: his contribution to contemporary art is as significant as that of contemporaries such as Helio Oiticica, David Medalla and Lygia Clark. Li Yuan-chia’s work embraces the ordinary and the everyday at the same time as it offers a glimpse into the cosmic and the universal.
This exhibition, curated by Guy Brett and produced by inIVA in collaboration with Camden Arts Centre, draws together different strands of Li Yuan-chia’s career and production – from his early drawings and paintings through to his installations, sculptural reliefs and extraordinary photographs and films.
Held at the Camden Arts Centre, London from 26 January – 18 March 2001, the exhibition travels to Abbot Hall Art Gallery and Museum, Kendal and the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels.