Visual Arts

Lehmann Maupin Hong Kong is pleased to present Nocturnal Friendships, an exhibition that examines various forms of friendship and considers the idea of friendship in relation to desire, the erotic, and death. Curated by acclaimed artist Liu Wei and Bowen Li, the exhibition features the work of Chinese artists Hu Xiangqian, Peng Jian, Tang Yongxiang, Tant Zhong, Yu Ji, Zhang Ruyi, and Zhu Tian.

The exhibition theme, and the use of Pontormo’s Portrait of Two Friends to illustrate the concept of the exhibition, stem from Treatise on Friendship, the Roman philosopher Cicero’s Latin text from 44 BCE. Depicted in Pontormo’s painting, Treatise on Friendship explores Cicero’s personal experiences with friendship, outlining what makes a good friend and conversely a bad one, the importance of virtue in friendship, and how one is affected by the death of a friend. Indeterminate areas of friendship are suggested by use of the word “nocturnal” in the exhibition title, which is taken from German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche proposed that by wishing you the “best” in life, a true friend actually wishes you the “worst”—including strife, struggle, and obstacles. By comparison, “nocturnal friendships” manifest themselves as insignificant relationships, or those without substance or foundation. Together the artworks in the exhibition articulate the concept of “nocturnal friendship”. While all demonstrate their own unique language, they are in dialogue with each other through various commonalities, such as ideas of absurdity, the interaction of the natural with the man-made, and how humanity operates within a larger mechanical society.