About

Following the inclusion of animation programs in APT5 'Japan Fantastic: Before and Beyond Anime' and APT6 'The Cypress and the Crow: 50 Years of Iranian Animation', the Gallery's Australian Cinémathèque presents a landmark retrospective of Chinese animation as part of the APT7 exhibition. 'Mountains and Waters: Chinese Animation Since the 1930s' features around 200 works of animation in techniques ranging from the use of ink-wash painting, shadow plays and papercuts, to puppetry and woodblock prints.

The program opens with profiles of contemporary artists and filmmakers whose works participate in this extraordinary tradition. Contemporary feature animations screen in January, while a highlight for February is a focus on animations from Hong Kong and Taiwan. From March to April, Mountains and Waters showcases classic works by the Wan brothers, who pioneered animation in China from the 1920s, as well as key directors of the Golden Ages of Chinese animation between the 1950s and the 1980s — Te Wei, Hu Jinqing, Jin Xi, A Da, Qian Jiajun and many others.

QAGOMA acknowledges the generous assistance in the presentation of the Mountains and Waters retrospective of the China Film Archive, Beijing; the Centre de Documentation sur le Cinēma Chinois, Paris; the Hong Kong Film Archive, Hong Kong; Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong; the Chinese Taipei Film Archive, Taipei; Sunny Sun at A4 Contemporary Arts Center, Chengdu; Kiki Fong, Brisbane; Dr Leong Ko, Geng Liying, Huang Liwen, Li Bing, Liu Yamin, Sun Mei, Zheng Yujie at the University of Queensland, Brisbane; and the artists and filmmakers together with their representatives. Program curated by Kathryn Weir, Australian Cinémathèque.

List of Works

Contemporary Art & Animation in China
The links between Chinese contemporary art and animation are very strong. A surprising number of artists are making works of animation, and often exploring through the animated moving image established artistic techniques and practices, from printmaking to ink wash painting, drawing and sculpture. This engagement with longstanding aesthetic traditions offers possibilities for artists to reflect on the relationship between art history, contemporary art and contemporary culture. The Mountains and Waters: Chinese Animation Since the 1930s retrospective opens with a showcase of recent animation by artists. The extraordinary richness of this field of contemporary practice is nourished by the historical strength and stylistic uniqueness of animation as an art form in China.

猫 (Māo) (Cat) 2002 | Director: Bu Hua
病之城 (Bìng Zhī Chéng) (The Sick City) 2005 | Director: Bu Hua
野蛮丛生 (Yěmán Cóngshēng) (Savage Growth) 2008 | Director: Bu Hua
Lv森林 (Lv Sēnlín) (Lv Forest) 2010 | Director: Bu Hua
我.镜 (Wǒ Jìng) (I. Mirror) 2007 | Director: Cao Fei
生在人民城寨 (Shēng Zài Rén Míng Chéng Zhài) (Live in RMB City) 2009 | Director: Cao Fei
人民城寨的人间炼狱 (Rénmín Chéngzhài de Rénjiān Liànyù) (People's Limbo in RMB City) 2009 | Director: Cao Fei
影梦人生(Yǐng Meng Rénshēng) (Shadow Life) 2011 | Director: Cao Fei
桃花源记( Táohuāyuán Jì) (The Legend of Shangri-La) 2006 | Director: Chen Ming
墨水历史(Mòshuǐ Lìshǐ ) (Ink City) 2005 | Director: Chen Shaoxiong
墨水东西 (Mòshuǐ Dōngxī) (Ink Things) 2007 | Director: Chen Shaoxiong
西湖醋鱼 (Xīhú Cùyú) (West Lake Fish) 2008 | Directors: Chen Xi, An Xu
冬至 (Dōng Zhì) (The Winter Solstice) 2008 | Directors: Chen Xi, An Xu
芒种 (Máng Zhòng) (A Clockwork Cock) 2009 | Directors: Chen Xi, An Xu
霜降 (Shuāng Jiàng) (Grain Coupon) 2011 | Directors: Chen Xi, An Xu
温柔杀手（冷眼第十集) (Wēnróu Shāshǒu) (Killing the Long Race Champion) (Cool Look – Episode 10) 2004 | Director: Chen Xi
桃花源 (Táohuāyuán) (The Lost Yard) (Cool Look – Episode 11) 2006 | Director: Chen Xi
翡翠罐子(Fěicuì Guànzi) (The Emerald Jar) (Cool Look – Episode 12) 2007 | Director: Chen Xi
这些忽然想起的心情 (Zhè Xiē Hūrán Xiángqǐ Dě Xīnqíng) (There Suddenly Recollected Moods) 2004 | Director: Feng Wei
兔街 (Tù Jiē) (The Rabbit Street) 2007 | Director: Feng Wei
月亮 (Yuèliàng) (Moon) 2010 | Director: Feng Wei
采薇 (Cǎi Wēi) (Cai Wei) 2003 | Director: Huang Yang
赤比考 (Chì Bí Kǎo) (Legend of the Head) 2006 | Director: Huang Yang
源 (Yuán) (Drop) 2005 | Directors: Huang Yang, Zhao Ye
鸭梨还是外星人 (Yālí Háishì Wàixīngrén) (Pear or Alien) 2008 | Director: Lei Lei
彩色魔方与乒乓球 (Cǎisè Mófāng Yǔ Pīngpāngqiú) (Magic Cube and Ping-Pong) 2009 | Director: Lei Lei
宇宙棉花糖 (Yǔzhòu Miánhuātáng) (The Universe Cotton) 2009 | Director: Lei Lei
呼噜噜轰隆隆哗啦啦 (Hūlūlū Hōnglōnglōng Huālālā) (Hululu Honglonglong Hualala) 2010 | Director: Lei Lei
这个念头是爱 (Zhègè Niàntóu Shì Ài) (This is LOVE) 2010 | Director: Lei Lei
我的，我的 (Wǒdě Wǒdě) (My…My...) 2011 | Director: Lei Lei
刺痛我 (Cì Tòng Wǒ) (Piercing 1) 2010 | Director: Liu Jian
灰飞烟灭 (Huifei Yanmiè) (Disillusion) 2009-10 | Director: Miao Xiaochun
从头再来 (Cóngtóu Zàilái) (Restart) 2008-10 | Director: Miao Xiaochun
向南飞 (Xiàng Nán Fēi) (Flying South) 2006 | Director: Qiu Anxiong
新山海经I (Xīn Shān Hǎi Jīng 1) (New Book of Mountains and Seas Part 1) 2006 | Director: Qiu Anxiong
新山海经2 (Xīn Shān Hǎi Jīng 2) (New Book of Mountains and Seas Part 2) 2007 | Director: Qiu Anxiong
民国风景 (Mínguó Fēngjǐng) (Minguo Landscape) 2007 | Director: Qiu Anxiong
山河梦影 (Shānhé Mèngyǐng) (Temptation of the Land) 2009 | Director: Qiu Anxiong
一场革命中还未来得及定义的行为 (Yīchǎng Gémìng Zhōng Hái Wèi Láidéjí Dìngyì Dě Xíngwéi) (Some Actions Which Haven't Been Defined Yet in the Revolution) 2011 | Director: Sun Xun
主义之外 (Zhǔyì Zhīwài) (Beyond-ism) 2010 | Director: Sun Xun
21克 (21 Kè) (21KE) 2010 | Director: Sun Xun
弗洛伊德，鱼和蝴蝶 (Fúluòyīdé, Yú Hé Húdié) (Freud, Fish and Butterfly) 2009 | Director: Wang Haiyang
双面菲克雷特 (Shuāngmiàn Fēikèléitè) (Double Fikret) 2012 | Director: Wang Haiyang
鲤鱼(Lǐyú) (Carps) 2007 | Director: Wu Junyong
蜘蛛的圆周 (Zhīzhū De Yuánzhōu) (Circle of Spider) 2008 | Director: Wu Junyong
鸟兽散 (Niǎo Shòu Sǎn) (Cloud's nightmare) 2010 | Director: Wu Junyong
时间的胃 (Shíjiān De Wèi) (Time of Stomach) 2011 | Director: Wu Junyong
摘桃记 (Zhāi Táo Jì) (Peach) 2012 | Director: Wu Junyong
俄塞达斯 (É Sài Dá Sī) (Osedax) 2007 | Director: Ye Linghan
最终实验飞行体 (Zuìzhōng Shíyàn Fēixíngtǐ ) (Last Experimental Flying Object) 2008 | Director: Ye Linghan
叙事电影局部之3 (Xùshì Diànyǐng Júbù Zhī Sān) (One Part of Narrative Film-3) 2009 | Director: Ye Linghan
痕 (Hén) (Scar) 2009 | Director: Zhang Xiaotao
萨迦 (Sà Jiā) (Sakya) 2010-2011 | Director: Zhang Xiaotao
内感受器幻觉 (Nèi Gǎnshòuqì Huànjué) (Enteroceptive Hallucination) 2012 | Director: Zhou Ming
达尔文蛙 (Dá'ěrwén Wā) (Darwin's Frog) 2010 | Director: Zhou Xiaohu
镜室 (Jìng Shì) (Mirror Room) 2010 | Director: Zhou Xiaohu
同党伐异(Dǎng Tóng Fá Yì) (Intolerance: Against Montage) 2011 | Director: Zhou Xiaohu
小小3号 (Xiǎo Xiǎo Sān Hào) (Xiao Xiao No. 3) 2001 | Director: Zhu Zhiqiang
小小系列7号--毁灭者 (Xiǎo Xiǎo Xìliè Qī Hào Huǐmièzhě) (Xiao Xiao No. 7 Mutilator) 2005 | Director: Zhu Zhiqiang
小小系列8号--毁灭者 (Xiǎo Xiǎo Xìliè Bā Hào Huǐmièzhě) (Xiao Xiao No. 8 Mutilator pt 2) 2006 | Director: Zhu Zhiqiang
小小5号(Xiǎo Xiǎo Wǔ Hào) (Xiao Xiao No. 5) 2009 | Director: Zhu Z