"It's Bloody Brilliant!"

London-based visual artist Chito Salarza-Grant on Saatchi going Chinese

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Having had a less than desirable working experience with the Saatchi Gallery in the past, I won't begrudge the New Chinese Art exhibition.

As a matter of fact, I think that the gallery design for The Revolution Continues: New Chinese Art is one of the best, if not the best, I've ever seen. The spacious installations supported by the wooden floors are amazing. The long cream-coloured solid wooden planks gracefully blend into the main gallery’s walls creating a monochromatic effect. The forceful brightness of the massive sky-light enhanced by the powerful spot-lights brighten up the viewing space in the clearest possible way. This, in turn, makes the gallery so bright that our gaze is only interrupted by the artworks on display.

The exhibition layouts are equally fantastic in mixing up the old with new. The exposed tube and pipes accentuate the industrial feel of some of the sculptures. In other words, architecturally speaking, Saatchi’s new spatial composition is a triumph, for this exhibition.

As a contemporary artist, I am amazed at how edgy some of the pieces in the New Chinese Art are. I have always loved art that makes you think, “What the hell is that?” These works give you gawping moments when you look at their craftsmanship. Breaking of taboos by presenting shocking subjects, making colossal-sized objects and using unusual and weird materials … all brought out the “What the…?” response in me.

My reaction to the paintings in the show is, well, so so. Some of the compositions are really good but some have been, shall we say, done. For example, take the can of soup with Chairman Mao’s face! I am, however, really impressed with the realistic approach to some of the life-like sculptures. Couple of my favourites: Sun Yuan and Peng Yu’s satirical representations of world leaders as well as their Fallen Angel; and, Chang Xin’s the pony-tailed Chinaman. I think they are superb.

Unlike most museums and galleries, there are no cords or barriers surrounding the sculptures which is pretty unusual. Another interesting aspect of the exhibition that impresses me most is that video and photography are allowed. This is heaven for photographers who like to capture works of art in their exhibitionary mode.

My overall impression of the Gallery and the New Chinese Art exhibition: IT'S BLOODY BRILLIANT. I had a ball visiting the new Saatchi and, basically, felt like a child having all the time in the world playing with my favourite toys. I know I will visit the show again and again especially since it's only walking distance from home.

Chito Salarza-Grant is a London-based multi-media artist who often uses recycled materials he has collected throughout his travels over the years.

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