Tears of Paradise (study)
2020
Financial Times stock listings, archival inkjet, sand and acrylic on canvas
Feature and spotlight of Gordon Cheung’s piece with Edel Assanti in the second week of FAIR by Mark Hughes, New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), and Artlogic.
‘Tears of Paradise’ refers to the milky teardrops of poppy opioids. Britain, the 1st narco state in history forced China under semi-colonial rule to consume opium sold by the East India trade company. It resulted in multiple invasions by Western powers and Japan, the ‘Unfair Treaties’ and the loss of Hong Kong. Within this historical framework, Communist China developed Capitalist policies that has resulted in economic miracles and the largest human project in history; The Belt and Road initiative or the revitalisation of the silk routes that connects more than 70 nations. The title plays on the word ‘tear’ to mean both crying and to rip.
The New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) is the definitive non-profit arts organization dedicated to the cultivation, support, and advancement of new voices in contemporary art. Their new art initiative, FAIR, built in partnership with Artlogic, is designed to be entirely online, function cooperatively, and act as a benefit for NADA’s community of galleries, nonprofits and artists. Taking place May 20–June 21, 2020, FAIR will directly support over 200 international galleries that have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
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