By: Olivia Hartfield
The Shenyang Tinglan Art Museum successfully hosted “YI AURA: The Way is Not More Precious Than Returning to Truth, Envying My Art That Can Be Leveled,” a solo exhibition by Yi cross-media artist Raine Li, in July 2024. The exhibition attracted a large number of art enthusiasts and cultural researchers, garnering widespread attention and achieving resounding success.
Curated by emerging curator Lin Xingyu, the exhibition explored the inheritance and innovation of Yi culture in the digital age through various media, including digital art, experimental video, and traditional calligraphy. During the exhibition, several of Raine Li’s works received high praise from the audience. Notable pieces included digitally reimagined Yi totem imagery and interactive installations combining contemporary calligraphy, showcasing the ingenious fusion of Yi culture with modern technology.
Photo Courtesy: Tinglan Art Gallery / Raine with her artwork Yi Series, London
Born in Yunnan and currently residing in London, Raine Li is a Yi artist dedicated to cultural heritage and innovation. She reinterprets and disseminates Yi culture through modern artistic approaches. The exhibition’s title, “YI AURA,” derives from an alternative writing of “Yi” (彝) as “Yi” (夷), aiming not only to explore the diversity and depth of Yi culture but also to symbolize the predicament and resilience of marginal cultures in modern society.
Photo Courtesy: Tinglan Art Gallery / YI AURA – Raine Li’s solo exhibition at Shenyang, China
The exhibition focused on the impact and reflection of the digital age on traditional culture, presenting the contemporary face and possibilities of Yi culture through the concept of “digital reflecting on digital, tradition breaking tradition.” Visitors generally expressed that the exhibition allowed them to rediscover the unique charm of Yi culture and prompted deep reflection on the protection and development of ethnic minority cultures in the context of globalization.
After the exhibition, Raine Li stated, “I’m delighted that this exhibition has received such support and attention. Through artistic creation, I hope to contribute to the inheritance and innovation of Yi culture. The success of the exhibition gives me more confidence to continue exploring and promoting artistic creation in this direction.”
Curator Lin Xingyu also commented, “The success of ‘YI AURA’ demonstrates the immense potential of combining traditional culture with contemporary art. We hope that such exhibitions will continue to inspire more discussions about cultural inheritance and innovation.”
The exhibition was organized by the Tinglan Art Museum and received cooperation and support from several cultural and artistic institutions, including Ai Ling Creative Studio and HeritageXeno Art Studio. The Tinglan Art Museum expressed its commitment to supporting such innovative cultural projects in the future, dedicated to promoting cultural diversity and artistic innovation.
Exhibition Information
- Duration: July 11 – July 14, 2024 (Concluded)
- Venue: Tinglan Art Museum, 192 Zhengyang Street, Shenhe District, Shenyang
- Organizer: Tinglan Art Museum
Curator: Lin Xingyu
Published by: Nelly Chavez
