Yang Fudong’s filmic and photographic works explore the search for identity and belonging of his young generation, born during and after the Cultural Revolution, in contemporary Chinese society, during a time of great change. Anxieties and tensions, nostalgia and hope: all are captured in his dreamlike sequences, often filmed in black and white, calling forth associations with film noir. Multiple relationships and storylines compete, intertwine and confuse, leaving the viewer in a state of suspension, mirroring the uncertainty felt by Yang and his friends. This mid-career survey provides an important US introduction to an artist set to make his mark.
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, University of California, until 8 December 2013.
