The exhibition The New Legend, the third chapter of the LOUIS XIII Heritage Project Art Initiative will open at Start Museum  from November 2 to 17, 2023.The Chinese title includes the character ‘薪’ (xin), evoking the idiom ‘薪火相传,’ which embodies the propagation of cultural life—the legacy of a craft, a sense of terroir, a cultural landscape, a spirit—how do they endure through time and continue to flourish?

Five contemporary artists and artist group were commissioned to embark on a journey to explore cultural life based on the themes of ‘transmitting,’ ‘remembering,’ ‘nurturing,’ ‘origins,’ ‘renewal,’ and ‘inheritance.’ They explored the hometown of the Fu Ship, delved into Yangzhou’s woodcut printing tradition, and immersed themselves in the world of Cantonese opera, engaging deeply with the cultural heritage. They also delved into the Three Rivers Source region of Qinghai and the Cognac Grande Champagne terroir in France, engaging in conversations with craftsmen and artists.

Jiū Society’s work Is it Beauty, Loyalty, or Love? is based on narrative collages drawn from the Chinese classics Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin. It incorporates elements of Cantonese opera performance and adapts two famous Cantonese opera segments,‘The Peach Garden Oath’ and ‘Wu Song Fights the Tiger’, to create a trilogy that blends modern urban emotions. These three parts are titled The Three Brothers of the Peach Garden, Wu Song Teases the Tiger, and Black in Black.

Through their exploration in Guangzhou, which they called their’Journey of Harmonious Sounds,’ Jiū Society gained a deeper understanding of Cantonese opera’s aesthetic system, folk elements, and the artisanal spirit that underpins the art form. Their work continues the artists’ exploration of stage performance art while delving into the native Cantonese opera of Lingnan and examining ancient wisdom and aesthetics.

This creative process explores the fusion of mythology and natural science, cultural values like loyalty, emotion, heroism, and righteousness, as well as the laws of historical development and strategic thinking. Jiu Society, with its unique and humorous art language, integrates Cantonese opera performance art, unfolding dreamlike reversals and delving into the subtle relationships and emotions of characters, dramatically narrating a contemporary fable about beauty, loyalty, and love.

Photo by: Lv Hengzhong and Che Kai, HZ Architect Photography Studio

LOUIS XIII Heritage Project III The New Legend