Alvin Xiong is an interdisciplinary contemporary artist of Asian heritage based in Auckland, New Zealand. His work has been exhibited and winning awards both in New Zealand and China, as well as collected by international private collectors and governmental institutions. He is also an independent curator specified in art & cultural exchange project between New Zealand and Asia.

 

Alvin at Arteco

 

What brought you to China to work with the “kiwisual Artistic Stones”?

 

Stone is natural substance in both the East and West all through history. People from all walks of life could find something about their life from stones; in other words, the natural substance is connected to people’s lives in many ways. To me, stone is free of race, culture, nation or any restriction. When I work with the “kiwisual Artistic Stones”, I put my personal elements into the stones, and I hope my stonework can have conversations with audience from different cultural backgrounds.

 

Working on the raft in the middle of the twin lakes

 

How is the environment of "1-art valley"?

 

"1-art valley" is an oasis for art within a metropolis; it is natural, refreshing and inspiring. Owner of "1-art valley" Mr. Kiwi Chan is right about all good environment being about 3 elements: sky, earth and water; at "1-art valley", the sky is vast, the earth is nourishing, and the water is soul-cleansing. It is a delight to stay here, and inspiration is just handy.

 

 

How is working with the stones different from your usual practice? And any similarities?

 

It has been a special journey working with the kiwisual stones. I focused more on the shapes of the stones than my personal elements. In fact, it was a compromise, namely compromising an artist’s personal elements onto the space of the stone. Such compromise challenges the artist to breakthrough the existent things in an unknown territory, to explore new lands and create something special. The process of the compromise is full of possibilities, because the artist totally changes or hides the specialties of the stone by putting his or her elements on it, so that the stone is just a medium. Which I should focus more on—the stone or my personal elements, is the key to working with a new media. 

 

 

Please tell us where you got the inspiration from for the stones you worked with.

 

Stone symbolizes nature’s strength and form - in the East and in the West. Kapok flower is known as the city flower of Guangzhou (China), where the kiwisual international Artist-in-Residence Project is hosted. The Fern is the most recognizable iconic plant used to represent New Zealand internationally. 

 

Guangzhou has been Auckland’s sister city since 1989. As a contemporary artist of Asian heritage based in Auckland, I try to use the stone as a bridge, and create a continuous pattern by unifying two plants on the stone, because I want to use the infinite pattern to reflect the longtime relationship between the two cities, and hope the people living in these cities will benefit from this relationship and understand more about each other’s culture. 

 

The colour black and white reflects day and night, light and shadow. In Chinese aesthetic philosophy, black and white represents Yin and Yang, the apparently opposite or contrary forces which are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, as well as symbolize the building blocks for the communities of future as they interconnect and grow together. 

 

Alviin's small tones

 

How do you make a balance between being an artist and curator?

 

Just follow my heart and do it!

 

 

 

 

Video: an artistic stone of the friendship of New Zealand & Guangzhou