July 7–October 29, 2023
Aranya is pleased to present its first public art initiative, aranya plein air art project (APA). The inaugural edition will take place in the valley of Aranya Jin Shan Ling, at the foot of the Great Wall of China, from July 7 through October 29, 2023.
APA 2023 invites 21 Chinese and international artists to present unique artworks along three hiking trails, in dialogue with the natural landscape and cultural heritage at aranya jin shan ling. Nine of the participating artists have been commissioned to create new works. APA 2023 is organized by Damien Zhang, director of the Aranya Art Center.
List of artists: Katinka Bock, Alina Chaiderov, Chen Ruofan, Chen Xiaoyi, Isabelle Cornaro, Tony Cragg, Ding Yi, Sylvie Fleury, Tom Friedman, Christine Sun Kim, Liang Shuo, Richard Long, Robert Mapplethorpe, Nabuqi, Prinz Gholam, Charles Ray, Su Chang, Vivian Suter, Michelle Wang Yiyi, Haegue Yang, David Zink Yi.
About Aranya
Aranya, a word derived from Sanskrit, refers to “a quiet, secluded place where you can recover your true self.” Based in Beidaihe New District, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, China, Aranya develops itself into a lifestyle brand, featured by beautiful natural environment and cultural space, profound emotional value and spiritual connotation. “Life Can Be Better” is Aranya’s unique brand concept, which encourages people to conduct a series of community practices to pursue “A Better Life.” After years of exploration, Aranya has grown from an original seaside community into a community-centric lifestyle brand that integrates literature, art, music, drama, film, television, sports and so on. Today, Aranya has transitioned from a cultural tourism real estate brand to a lifestyle brand.
About aranya jin shan ling
aranya jin shan ling is at the appropriate distance from cities, located between Chengde (Hebei) and Miyun District (Beijing), about 120 kilometers from downtown Beijing. The distance from noise to quiet is also the distance from material to spirit. The architecture and landscape of aranya jin shan ling extend around the three dimensions of spirit, emotion and material successively, and harmoniously integrate with the living environment. These spaces are designed for a beautiful life, combining the atmosphere of life and art delicately, which not only meets the daily needs of the valley residents, but also avoids too much disturbance, leaving more space and tranquility for the heart and allowing the thinking to become more focused.
About Aranya Art Center
Aranya Art Center is a kunsthalle for contemporary art powered by the seaside community of Aranya in Beidaihe, China. The architecture, designed by Neri&Hu, has a heavy volume, dark facade and concrete wall tiles of different textures, imbuing the art center with the appearance of a resilient rock. The spiral staircases inside the building connect the open-air atrium at the bottom with each exhibition gallery. Since its opening in May 2019, Aranya Art Center has presented over ten exhibitions, including the group exhibitions Long Day and Études, as well as the comprehensive museum exhibitions of Anselm Reyle, Sylvie Fleury, Tao Hui, and Gabriel Kuri in China.
Media contact
Liangjiao Gao, gaoliangjiao [at] aranya.cc / T +86 138 1143 1757
