Inspired by the Tao Te Ching, the 6th Century B.C. text by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, Reason’s Clue focuses on contemporary art that engages the diverse ideas and attitudes about the history and culture of China. Eight artists working in China, Taiwan, and the United States examine the ways in which history reflects on and influences the present. Moving away from the simplistic binaries of past and future, East and West, and negative and positive forces, the works in the exhibition explore fluid interactions and integral structures between the opposites. The artists meld traditional and contemporary sensibilities to render their own understanding of the various subject matter including language, art history, popular culture, archaeology, and global politics.

Reason’s Clue is curated by Luchia Meihua Lee.