Archipelago

Archipelago

Then the LORD God commanded the man,

"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;

but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…"

（Genesis 2:16–17）

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were told they might enjoy everything in the paradise, save for the forbidden fruit. Yet they reached out, plucked it, and their eyes were suddenly opened; for the first time they knew shame and good and evil, and for the first time they became aware that the body and the soul could be hidden. The garden was lost, and humanity took its first breath in the company of secrets.

From the ancient and enduring question of the subject "the self" Archipelago inquires into the boundaries of privacy, identity, and self-recognition. In making the work, the artist measures time by the sky, following the photographed subjects by day and by night, allowing life before the lens to shed its surfaces and reveal its most natural intimacy and boundlessness. The naked body thus ceases to be mere image; it becomes the most direct manifestation of the self. Meanwhile, the everyday minutiae that accompany the journey—a stone, a plant, a gesture, a gaze—circle, shelter, and bear witness to these fragile presences in the field. Through collageand superimposition, the artist juxtaposes body with nature and matter, constructing a tension between person and world, between the instant and the eternal.

In the exhibition space, these images enter into dialogue with presences of materials: stone, wood, water, and metal. At times they are tender as a shelter, leaving a narrow slit for the viewer to peep through; at others they press heavy and oppressive, as if to smother and bury the image. Shelter and prohibition, revelation and concealment alternate continuously in the same time and place, evoking the story of the world's beginning: in the seven days that separated heaven from earth, water and dry land, plants and living things came forth in succession, until the flesh of Adam was infused with the breath of life, and the world became whole.

Here, the body is no isolated individual, but—like stone and wood, water and metal—part of the texture of the world. Just as islands are divided by the sea yet bound by it, the images and materials in the exhibition are at once separate and secretly allied in the spectator's gaze, refracting the fluid and complex borders between self and society, freedom and discipline, concealment and disclosure.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened,

and they realized they were naked;

so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

（Genesis 3:7）

Today, we still live in a new garden. Society sets invisible bounds, telling us what is "proper" and what is "deviant." Every silhouette not sanctioned by the majority may become a privacy to be guarded. Archipelago, these isolated individuals and moments are like scattered isles, cut off yet resonating in the undercurrents. Perhaps each person's secret and vulnerability is a small paradise—not public, yet not vanished either—existing in silent permanence amid the world's ocean.

Text / Zhou Yong
ARTIST: Gao Mingxi

Gao Mingxi (b. 1992, Jilin, China) is a photographer whose work primarily explores the opposition and unity between nature and the self. Skilled in using stark contrasts of scale within his compositions, he integrates personal emotions and experiences to express the interplay between different forces, aiming to question and convey their complexity and immensity.

His achievements include selection for the Three Shadows Photography Award (TSPA), Supporting Active Young Artist (SAYA), and The Beauty of Books in China (for his photobook). His works have been exhibited in cities such as Beijing, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Taipei, Chiang Mai, Munich, Leipzig, San Francisco, and Paris.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2018. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2023. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2021. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2020. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2023. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Gao Mingxi, Archipelago series, 2024. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
May Park Gallery

May Park Gallery is a professional gallery brand under the Tianfu Image Art Center (TFIAC). Since its establishment in 2018, the gallery has upheld the philosophy of "making art a promised land of life," with a strong commitment to promoting the photographic works of prominent artists from both China and abroad. It actively fosters exchange between domestic artists and the global art market, serving as a vital bridge between local creation and international dialogue. Through long-term partnerships with influential brands and cultural institutions, May Park Gallery has created a high-standard commercial exhibition platform that supports the visibility, market access, and sustainable development of emerging artists in the contemporary art ecosystem.

Located on the first floor of the Tianfu International Convention Center by Qinhuang Lake in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, the Tianfu Image Art Center (TFIAC) spans approximately 5,000 square meters. Its core facilities include three standard exhibition halls, three temporary exhibition spaces, and one gallery. The largest standard hall covers about 700 square meters and is equipped with advanced lighting systems tailored for photographic exhibitions. Several professional institutions have established a presence within the center, including Wang Jianjun Image Space, May Park Gallery, Park Image Space, Chengdu Phase One Digitalization Center, and Potoever Art Store. The Exhibition and Training Center of the Sichuan Photographers Association is also based here under its official guidance. As a comprehensive platform for photographic art, TFIAC integrates multiple functions such as exhibitions, gallery retail, cultural and creative products, café and bookstore services, public education, publishing, space rental, digital imaging, and exhibition production, offering diverse and professional services for both the public and institutional partners.