Space in the traditional Chinese garden transcends the physical, reflecting the designer’s spiritual beliefs. Severed from this context, Chinese gardens have taken on new meaning in their representation in contemporary art. Zhou Yang considers the practice of Chinese artists who have responded to the gardens of the Imperial literati in a range of ways: from fantastical to feminist, from mystical to spiritual. Zhou Yang’s own practice uses photography to make visible the illusive Immortals’ realm within the gardens in a contemporary Daoist allusion. She argues that photography reveals the existence of a hidden space that provides respite from China's rapid urban development.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Zhou Yang is a doctoral researcher at CCVA, Birmingham City University, and an artist using the medium of photography. Zhou’s research and practice explore themes of memory, cultural heritage and myths, and she has been exhibited in major photo festivals and fairs in China in the past decade. Her interdisciplinary research examines how contemporary art generates new understandings of Chinese literati gardens and creates new experiences for the audience.

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