In order to celebrate the first year of her second gallery based in Shanghai, Magda Danysz invites Maleonn, Zhang Dali and Yang Yongliang to Paris. Artists from the chinese new rising generation, the three of them are representative of the concerns China goes through these days. In this show Maleonn, Zhang Dali and Yang Yongliang present artworks never seen outside China before. YangYongliang choses to present a video installation about the rapid urbanisation of China. The White on White photographic series by Maleonn and Second History paintings by Zhang Dali deal on the other hand with China’s past and its memories. In White on White’s photographs, Maleonn questions the place of the man in History and the subject of the individual memory confronted to the collective memory. Maleonn says about these artworks, “they are not just photographs but also the recording of past emotions”. He rewrites History in his own way, the memory becomes clouded, memories lessen and then we discover are newed history. Zhang Dali presents his most recent series Second History. The artist gathered dozens of images issued by propaganda services since the creation of People's Republic of China. These are presented with the original photos the artist found back. By comparing both, he finds his inspiration for an extended painting series. Nonetheless there is no political controversy with Second History. Zhang Dali claims “I am an artist. If I was an historian, I’d obviously adopt a different point of view.As an artist, of course I also accept historical responsibility showing these pictures. (…) To me, the most important is visual.”

China's soul: Maleonn, Zhang Dali, Yang Yongliang
Galerie Magda Danysz, Paris
Through 31 July 2010