Reconstructing
Dreams
Art Collaboration at BASE
FANG JIANXI
We are delighted to invite the artist Fang Jianxi to join us at BASE Serviced Apartment for a cross-disciplinary collaboration at Base-Longfu Temple. The project integrates vibrant and vivid colors into the living spaces of Base, reflecting the diverse and dynamic lifestyles unfolding within these walls.
Using Longfu Temple as a prototype, the artist reconstructs the full spectrum of daily experiences—sights, sounds, and touches—through the exploration of dreams. In the confined space of the Base-Longfu Temple lobby entrance, the exhibition showcases an interplay of colors and arrangements, enhanced with puppet constructions.
Join us to explore these dreamscapes, uncovering the stories behind the artworks, and witnessing the fusion of hutong culture with modern art.
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Longfu Temple, an imperial incense temple from the Ming and Qing dynasties, was established in the third year of the Ming Dynasty Jingtai era and boasts a history spanning over 500 years.
Extending across six centuries, it merges traditional culture with modern civilization, serving as a unique cultural landmark that bears witness to Beijing's evolving footsteps. Adjacent to the historic silhouette of Longfu Temple, Qianliang Hutong, home to Jinhe Yuedu Hui, envelops the serviced apartments of BASE.
In this captivating space, artist Fang Jianxi draws inspiration from the form of hutongs to create art that abstracts and utilizes the visual elements of QR code design. Through his unique perspective, he explores and creates using a non-relief type of 3D decorative art to present an abstract art form that merges freedom and dreams.
In the lobby of the Base-Longfu Temple serviced apartments, Fang Jianxi's artwork extends like a continuation of the hutongs, resonating with the history of Longfu Temple. His works repurpose discarded bed linens from Base-Longfu Temple apartments, infusing them with elements of dreams, giving them a second life. This brings fragmented yet familiar scenes, creating an emotional feast, and cleverly combining the concept of recycling with art. The pieces seamlessly integrate hutong culture with modern art.
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Talk with the Artist
Can you please introduce the works in this exhibition?
The works are titled "Reconstructing Dreams." I've always been exploring the origins of dreams.
In dreams, everything that happens feels incredibly real—the texture of the sofa I'm sitting on, the curve of my hand holding it, the slightly rough surface, all these physical sensations and emotions are vivid. However, upon waking, we realize that dreams are virtual, but the experience of entering a dream is as tangible as experiencing life. This led me back to the theme of reconstructing dreams.
As the psychoanalyst Freud said, "A dream is a kind of repressed desire." By interpreting life through dreams and studying my subconscious, I began to use dreams to seek not just the dreams themselves, but to explore deeper questions.
SHORT PROFILE
Name: Fang Jianxi
DOB: 1987
Place of birth: Fujian, China
Occupation: Artist, Graduated from the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts
The colors in your work are very rich. Is it the same in dreams?
n artist's vision should be the most sensitive among the five senses. Therefore, I use vibrant color collisions to create atmosphere and employ lines, geometry, color, and extensive projections to establish spatial relationships. I strive to create multi-layered spatial relationships to express my inner feelings as authentically as possible.
What led to this collaboration with BASE?
When I first entered Base-Longfu Temple, the first thing that caught my eye was this "QR code." Initially, I thought about scanning it, but later I realized it was an artistic silhouette of the Longfu Temple floor plan. It was really intriguing. As I explored the apartment, the design of the interior spaces and room layouts deeply impressed me. It challenged my conventional perception of apartments: unlike the transient nature of "hotel-style apartments," Base serviced apartments offer a greater sense of connection to life
Including the ESG principles they uphold, which align with my pursuit of environmental sustainability. When creating the puppet installations, I use ultra-light materials like polypropylene cotton for filling to minimize the use of suspension lines. For this project, I used discarded pillows from Base, repurposing the pillow stuffing as filling material. This gives the materials a second life, allowing them to continue shining through art.
DISCOVER MORE IN THE AUDIO:
