“來生”源自佛教觀念。佛人認為宇宙是“大千三千世界”。凡是都是輪回 – 從始，到升，再到降，最后到消散。凡是終在變，沒有個固定，都是在再生。

　　“來生“系列作品是謝曹閩對當今虛擬世界所做的一個回答。對謝曹閩來說，當今藝術家往往把注意力集中在特定的社會政治主題作為創作靈感之基礎。隨著這些以意識形態為主的藝術運動從80年代開始衰退，藝術的功能剩下的僅僅是一大堆怨言。謝曹閩藝術的基準是對宏觀世界的想象。隨著圖像的泛濫，謝曹閩的創作對所謂不可想象的世界的做出想象。這一想象，對謝曹閩來說就是“來生”。此次展出的新畫，記錄了藝術家本人感應不可預知世界的“來生”之想象的整個過程。

　　展期：二零零八年十一月一日至二十日

　　開幕：二零零八年十一月一日，星期六，下午二時至五時

　　地址：55畫廊　　上海莫干山路50號4號樓A座底樓

　　電話：（021）6266 4108

　　營業時間：星期二至星期日，11:00 - 17:00

　　郵箱: info@gallery55s.com

　　網站: www.gallery55s.com

　　Afterlife——A solo exhibition by Xie Caomin

　　The term "afterlife" is borrowed from the Buddhism concept. The Buddhist’s view of the universe is called "Great-Thousand-World". Every ‘thing’ is in a circulating process - it arises, develops, flourishes, declines, and dissipates. Nothing is permanent. Everything changes. It is reincarnation, a spiral movement which develops everything back to its fundamental state.

　　"Afterlife" is Xie Caomin’s response of the tendency of today's visual art world. In his view, today's artists more & more tend to focus on the specific socio-political issue as the inspirational bases for the art creativity. After the fall of those art movements (driven by the ideologies) during the 80's, the function of the art becomes merely a list of complain.

　　Instead of having an interest in the socially engaged art activities, Xie Caomin’s view of the art is based on the imagination toward the macro view of the world - the activities to imagine within the unimaginable world (a world with the inflation of images). The imagination, to the artist, is af terlife. This new group of the paintings records his process of feeling about the afterlife imagination toward the unpredictable world.

　　Exhibition dates: 1 – 20 Nov., 2008

　　Opening Reception: Saturday, 1 Nov., 2008, 14:00 – 17:00

　　Venue: 55

　　50 Moganshan Road, Bldg. 4A

　　Shanghai 200060, China

　　Tel: + 86 21 6266 4108

　　Business hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11:00 - 17:00

　　E: info@gallery55s.com

　　W: www.gallery55s.com