CityLife

Chinese Arts Centre: Artists promise the naked truth

TWO artists who shocked the art world by jumping semi naked on to Tracey Emin's Turner Prize-nominated unmade bed have launched an exhibition in Manchester.

Controversy has never been far away from Chinese-born Cai Yuan and JJ Xi, whose work "Happy and Glorious" can be seen at the Chinese Art Centre.

The provocative pair first caught the public's attention in 1999 when they hopped on to Emin's bed at the Tate Gallery in London.

Their work - based on satire and often politically motivated - has also seen the pair crawl through the capital in military fatigues and run naked across Westminster Bridge carrying a panda called Tony Bear.

Their new show explores immigration and citizenship.

Many of their performances have seen them appear naked in famous settings, but the artists reject critics who say they are simply attention-seekers.

Significant

Cai said: "People who say they are just stunts have a narrow minded way of looking at art. These people need more education about what contemporary art is. It's not just about sticking paintings on the wall of the house and looking in catalogues."

Xi added that by bounding on to Emin's bed, they brought more out of the exhibit.

"We added something more to Tracey's work. We made it more significant. We brought the bed, which is a dead object, to life. It is the art of intervention," he said.

The artists claim they have been shunned by the art world because of the political nature of their work.

"We have reacted to issues such as sending troops into the Iraq war and also the effect of globalisation on the Far East. And traditionally institutions don't like artists who are subversive or political. If we have a very clear political matter they don't like it," said Cai.

A feature of their current work is a video screen showing the naked artists enacting the citizenship oath and singing the national anthem. JJ said it is an ironic look at the absurdity of the process of becoming "British".

The exhibition is at the Chinese Art Centre, Thomas Street until November 21.