Emily Bates
Love Scenes, 2008
Casino, Luxembourg - Forum d'Art Contemporain 19/04-29/06/2008
Curated by Enrico Lunghi
Colour prints on dibond with plexiglas: 107X 85cm, 120X150cm, 56X70cm
Silver gelatin prints on aluminium: 100X125cm
Love Scenes, brought together material gathered during two journeys to Yunnan, documenting places and songs before they fade out of existence, as China swiftly modernises and refocuses its self. The work draws particular reference from the culture and rituals of the Naxi minority. The narratives embedded within the works often create a sense of isolation or loss, as they echo the demise of local customs and beliefs, alongside the power and inherent emotional qualities of the locations.
At the centre of the project lies the story of two young lovers who were forbidden to marry, and chose instead to die together on a meadow located on the mountain sacred in Naxi beliefs, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan).
The landscapes themselves become a form of portrait, barely breathing. They are both stages and bodies, carefully arranged and lovingly tended, often despite the harsh reality of life beside them.
The exhibition publication Love Scenes, is available from Casino, Luxembourg:
www.shop-casino-luxembourg.lu
Publication designed with Gisele Simon
www.giselesimon.com
Several works from the series are held within the collections of MAC's - Musée des Arts Contemporains, Site du Grand-Hornu, Belgium, and FRAC – Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain Poitou-Charentes, Angouleme, France, as well as private collections in Luxembourg.
www.mac-s.be
www.frac-poitou-charentes.org
Lilisha
Spruce Meadow I
Spruce Meadow II
Spruce
Bloom
Border
Bonsai
Still Life
Soul Mountain (Yubeng)
Luna