Between the past and the future
by Li Zhenhua
The Chinese curator and artist Li Zhenhua, (*1975 Beijing, China) lives between Berlin, Zurich and China. During the Covid-19 Lockdown, he was stuck in Berlin. In this photo log-book he speaks about this unusual experience.
“I had curated two projects in Pingshan Art Museum, Shenzhen and Suzhou Museum, Suzhou. Both started from the end of 2019 through February and March 2020. I had even booked trips from Europe to Shenzhen and Hongkong, on February 1st and March 15th, one for a symposium in Shenzhen, the other for Art Basel in Hongkong. I was in a motivated mood and prepared for 2020, Zurich and Berlin. The future at that time seemed pretty straight forward.”
February 14th, 2020
Wang Jiangnan, aaajiao, He Xiangyu, Ang Du Weissenbrunner, and myself initiated a protest at Brandenburger Tor.
But life is full of miracles and surprises. During the lockdown in Hubei, I was in Berlin, getting prepared for a UK visa, I was happy to get one for 10 years, got my air tickets ready for March, but then very soon Germany, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Japan were also affected. That was the darkest time for Asian people in Berlin, because people believed that Covid-19 is spreading worldwide because of Asian people, and some Asians have been attacked by people randomly. It’s a globalization issue, you can even trace it back into the 12th or 16th century, I am not sure where the virus came from, but when the disaster starts, fear and hate might lead people into violence. Where the history and future crossed, but what’s the difference?
I am like a clock, precisely moving forward with a clear direction and vision, but then in February and March, several projects in China have been postponed or cancelled. Pingshan Art Museum and Suzhou Museum had to close during the lockdown, meaning my curated exhibition closed as well. Suddenly time became an interesting measurement according to the public issues. The virus has changed my projects, but not very much my routine. That is until the lockdown in Germany, Switzerland and many other countries.
“Coronavirus: Germany latest country to close borders”
—March 16th, 2020
April 2nd, 2020
I live in the Turkish neighbourhood in Wedding. One day, I saw a woman from my balcony, who put all the fruit and the sign ‘You Will Flower, Too’ on this tree.
Learning carpentry became another physical training that I did during the lockdown. This is the first work I made, using standard industrial forms and materials. I drilled one hole into two boards and pushed two small pieces of wood through them. It’s not perfectly done, but you can put it against the wall and it somehow can stay quietly there. Visually, it compensates the mistakes made.
April 25th, 2020
I walk with Dieter Detzner in Grunewald, Berlin. We then established a Saturday afternoon walk routine every week after.
May 26th, 2020
Visiting Deutsches Historisches Museum
Between the past and the future is the title of a book by Hannah Arendt. The 1st half-year of 2020 is the moment of the past and future, in which I am more engaged in writing for professional friends like He Jianping, Thomas Eller, Tim Li, with whom I can reflect on the good old times in the 80s, 90s and today. I also write for artists like Zeng Zhe, Daniel Knorr, Chen Wen Ling, touching on their history locally and globally, while attempting to put their work in a shifting cultural context for now. As I wrote in one text for Tim Li, we shall be able to imagine a better future, and we should not lose the imagination for better things.
June 17th, 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, what was the meaning of staying with your beloved one, your friends, family or being alone? Since when have you had quality time with yourself, apart from work and social media or Netflix. Since when have you had to live together with another person every day?
“Everything finally back in tune, my agenda is full, travel from Zurich to Tübingen, then back to Berlin again, soon I will go to England, and as the Queen said, we will meet again. Yes, if life has not stopped yet, what shall I do?
But the system might be a bit different now, after the COVID-19 and BLM movement. There is also the question of stock-market inflation, auctions, gallery openings, more proposals for big shows in 2021. The question would be, how to compensate the loss of lives and time. In 2020, anyway, this pause was an unexpected hold, but life goes on. And we shall meet in the galleries, museums, exhibitions, or maybe encounter at the airport or on the plane… to travel far from home, meet new people, learn new art, get together.”