55

55 is honored to announce that it will present the group exhibition "You Are Not Contemporary" to celebrate its 20th anniversary from November the 8th through the 30th. The participating artists include: Yu Aijun, Xiong Yanjun, Yin Changzhi, Wang Shuzhong, Lei Lai and Chu Sixian.

"You Are Not Contemporary" - these four words may sound like a joke, but they often strike at the heart of artists. In the art world, it is both a question and a label; both a tease and a judgment. It seems to have become a spell on contemporary art, silently demanding that every creator keep up with the trends and innovate, or else be marginalized. However, when "contemporary" is elevated to an unassailable dogma, has it strayed from the original intention of art? We have curated this group exhibition with the theme of "You Are Not Contemporary" precisely to counter this proposition in a playful manner, deconstruct its absurdity, and at the same time explore how a serious and non-conformist artist can achieve true "contemporaneity" through "not being contemporary".

This exhibition is not about defining "contemporaneity" or vindicating “non contemporaneity", but rather attempting to tear a crack between the two, allowing light to seep in. The participating artists respond to this provocative theme in their own ways - they refuse to be bound by the "contemporary" assembly line, yet engage with the present in their own manner. This playful attitude is both a mockery of the art world’s conventional thinking and a defense of creative freedom - when "contemporaneity" is reduced to a fashion label, choosing "non-contemporaneity" might be the most sincere response to art.

Behind the phrase "You Are Not Contemporary" lies a larger paradox: the definition of contemporary art is often confined to "reflecting the present", but when "the present" is narrowed down to certain forms or topics, the diversity of art is stifled. Those artists accused of being "non-contemporary" often precisely capture the pulse of the times in their own way - not through showmanship or following trends, but through depth and sincerity. In art history, such examples are not uncommon: Monet’s water lilies were once regarded as outdated, and Pollock’s drip paintings were dismissed as nonsense, yet today’s classics were born in these "non-contemporary" moments. Today, when we brandish the stick of "You Are Not Contemporary", are we also inadvertently burying the possibilities of the future?

This exhibition is also a game, inviting the audience to step out of the conventional judgment framework. You don’t have to rush to categorize each work, nor feel uneasy about their "non-contemporaneity". We hope you can feel the joy of rebellion and the serious thinking hidden behind it. Perhaps you will discover that "non-contemporaneity" is not a defect, but an attitude - an attitude that refuses to be hijacked by trends and confined by definitions. It reminds us that the value of art does not lie in whether it "keeps up with the times", but in whether it can penetrate time and touch humanity.

In a sense, choosing "non-contemporaneity" is a radical form of contemporaneity. It does not follow the crowd or pander to the powerful, but dissects the altar of "contemporaneity" with a playful tone, reasserting the autonomy of art. These artists, through their persistence, tell us that true "contemporaneity" is not an external label, but an inner vitality. When "contemporaneity" becomes a compulsory collective illusion, "non-contemporaneity" becomes the key to breaking through the illusion. This group exhibition is a tribute to all "non-contemporary" artists and an invitation to the audience. Let us temporarily set aside our obsession with "contemporaneity", step into this playful carnival, and discover those neglected, misunderstood, yet incredibly vibrant voices.