Startling Chinese art at White Rabbit Gallery

Sydney has many museums and galleries, but the White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale surprised me - almost shocked me - with a provocative collection of contemporary Chinese art. Suffice to say, it is not part of Chinatown.

Walking into the entrance of the four-story building, I was instantly attracted to a ceiling full of birdcages, the kind associated with good-for-nothing Beijingers of yore, and bric-a-brac that screamed folksy Chinese such as cultural revolution-era pots and pans.

Just as I was going to say chinoiserie, I was greeted by a huge wall of paintings with diverse styles and content, none of it discernably Chinese.

Walking up the stairs, I was mesmerized by Eight Drunken Immortals, an installation by Shyu Ruey-Shiann, who was inspired by recycled rubbish as much as by the ancient legend of the titular immortals.

A photograph by Wang Qingsong of a roomful of students dozing off next to piles of books would elicit a knowing chuckle from every Chinese who has been through the ordeal of learning for tests, not for pleasure.

Xu Zhen's Play 201301 looks like a miniature of an old European cityscape with cathedral spires, but on closer scrutiny reveals leather, buckles, zippers, whips and chains reminiscent of erotic bondage. A video by Li Ming of two men exchanging T-shirts without the garment leaving either body seems to explore male bonding and human contact.

Then there is a pair of installations with two executive types looking at a mirror. Most visitors would mistake them for - what else - but visitors might a bit too self-absorbed. The figures are actually lifelike wax whose verisimilitude is enhanced by the face in the mirror.

Most disturbing is a piece of performance art by He Yunchang in which a group of his friends voted to make a meter-long cut to his naked body without an anesthetic. The pain was very much real, as documented in video and photos. One wonders what is to be gained from such physical torment.

Artists ask questions, not provide answers. What's on display is only a small portion of the 1,000-some works by 350 Chinese artists produced in the new millennium and collected by Judith Nelson. Each new exhibition runs for five months before a new one is prepared. That may constitute a wealth of questions begging for answers - either gut reactions or philosophical musings.

To get a more comprehensive look at contemporary art in Australia, you should make way to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney's Rocks district, a place for fine dining, great views and many galleries. The caf on the terrace, half of it outdoors, provides a great respite from pondering nature, the arts and other issues that fill our minds.

But back to the exhibits - they are wide-ranging, from poetically mesmerizing to boldly challenging. There is a whole floor of colorful patterns that swirl with dizzying effect. It is echoed on the wall with a bowl-like artifact that seems to suck you in.

A mural at the Circular Quay entrance depicts people who made their first voyage to Australia by boat. Rendered by Chinese artist Guan Wei, it has a primeval beauty reminiscent of childhood innocence though it was inspired by current debates about immigration and refugees.

"From a historical point of view, the MCA's location at Circular Quay is a place where in the past many immigrants landed - a place which links the past with the present, you with me, and Australia with the world," the artist illuminates.

The museum reopened in 2012 after an AUD$53 million ($49.5 million) expansion and redevelopment. The art deco building now houses an endless array of exhibitions and education programs that befit even casual visitors.

raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn