Yang Fudong (born 1971 in Beijing, China; lives and works in Shanghai). Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest, Part I, 2003. Single-channel video with sound; 35mm black-and-white film transferred to DVD. Duration: 29 minutes, 22 seconds. Asia Society, New York: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harold and Ruth Newman, 2011.24

Asia Society Museum is showing Yang Fudong’s Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest, in its entirety as a prelude to the upcoming exhibition, (Re)Generations: Rina Banerjee, Byron Kim, and Howardena Pindell amid the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Collection, opening in March. The work follows seven young men and women on journeys in search of their identities and ideal lives, reflecting the many urban, ideological, and economic transformations across China today.

In 2003, Yang Fudong produced the first part of his five-part film; one part of the film was created each year (in sequential order), and the entire work was finished in 2007. The work has no clear narrative, although each part takes place in a different setting. Some parts take place in a rural environment, while others are set in cities. The film poses questions about the dissonance between men and women, individuals and society, the past and present, and reality and an ideal world.

Each part was originally shot in 35mm film, which was then transferred to DVD. Yang prefers to shoot in film, as opposed to digital video, as he believes that film retains a strong sense of the artist’s touch, which digital videos often lack. The five parts differ in length, ranging from approximately thirty to seventy minutes; the total running time amounts to about four hours.

Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest was first screened at the 2007 Venice Biennale, receiving high praise. Asia Society Museum acquired the work in 2011.