BJÖRN KJELLTOFT: REVISIONISM

Showing for the first time in China in IFP's brand new project space, Swedish visual artist Björn Kjelltoft will display an installation view of his project Revisionism.

This project which brings the artist to China for the first time is of a very personal nature. In 1968, Björn's father, an engineer working for a Swedish company producing electrical equipment, came to China for a project installing turbines at a Power station in Beijing. As a young technician from a respected neutral country he enjoyed a privileged position, became a rare witness to a closed country during the height of the Cultural Revolution. He took many photos of both official events such as the military parade paying tribute to Chairman Mao, but also more mundane scenes of everyday street life, in defiance of the photo prohibition.

As an open-ended venture into his father's personal history the artist has retraced the footsteps taken in '68, finding the locations depicted in the diapositives and retake the photos using the same original camera. As a document, these images reveal the massive transformations taken place in the Chinese capital, its public spaces and political venues. As a personal encounter between a son and his aging father returning to a city for the first time after half a century, Björn Kjelltoft's project opens up for a multitude of contingencies.

This residency is a part of a collaboration between IFP and IASPIS on public space in China.

IFP is delighted to welcome you to this one-night exhibition, which also serve as a preview of our new project space to be opened next month.

Björn Kjelltoft: Revisionism

Opening April 30, 6 - 9pm IFP Project Space, Heizhima hutong 13

The artist will be present.