Exhibit title, Unflattening, was quoted from title of the first comic book published by Harvard University, which is the first philosophy-comics research passed thesis examination at Columbia. Unflattening is a word created by the author, Nick Sousanis, indicates thoughts, experiences, all the tools, concepts and system invented by human to form the life are rather obstructing the infinite potential as being "mechanism that makes one-dimensional thoughts and behavior". If Flatness is a narrow and stiff one-dimensional viewpoint, Unflattening is a concept describing new approach and three-dimensional perspective. This can be explained as the perspective, looking at the same world with different viewpoint, the experiences in China; rapidly developed after Chinese economic reform in 1978, possessed system of awareness, seeking something new through various perspectives, and the features of young Chinese artists who repeat breakaway, denial, overturn and seeking. Furthermore, the exhibition has been prepared as to understand China with new perspective beyond standing views.

Three artists participating in this exhibition are all from the 80hou (after 80’s) generation. Unlike the past generation, they were born after Deng Xiaoping carried out a birth control policy (one-child policy), and they have enjoyed rapidly enriched economic benefits and material affluence. They are individualistic, open-minded, and sensible. In addition, they are wide-open to accept foreign cultures and a number of overseas students were increased in this generation. One of the participating artists, Jian Ce, immigrated to Berlin, Germany, when she was 4 years old, along with her parents and grown up there since then. Qin Jun completed postgraduate in England after university and Xie Fan studied under Professor Zhang Xiaogang in Sichuan University and built foundation by being his assistant for the longest time in Beijing. Differentiate from the early China avant-garde generation, when the artists were spotlighted in international arena for cynical expression on socialistic ideology and political issues, these artists are actively participating in international stage by their own way of speculation system.

Even after the global economic crisis, China has developed overall national power by leading the capital strength. This resulted quantitative expansion of new rich and their intellectual hobby in art collection, constructing private museum and move artistic patron of various spectrum, which are accelerating the pace of Chinese young artists towards the center of world stage. Not only increasing number of Chinese allocated in ‘Power 100’ conducted by Art Review annually, Chinese collectors are registered as chairman in the major global art museum such as MOMA and TATE. Also, White Cube, Gagosian and Pompidou are competing to undertake the exhibition of young Chinese artists. In contrast, China-related exhibitions in Korea are limited to introduce the mood of the mainstream of China properly. Through Unflattening exhibition, we would like you to experience new observation of contemporary art in Chinese 80hou (after 80’s) generation’s free-spirited and expanded awareness.