Smash Palace

Oh White Rabbit Gallery, exploring the streets of Chippendale is such a delight knowing that you are only a short distance away. I've been meaning to see you for months, and finally the opportunity arose and I decided to reward myself with an afternoon exploring your latest offering, Smash Palace. There is, perhaps, two crown jewels in this exhibition. The first is architect Cheng Dapeng's Wonderful City (2011-12), an impressive series of resin 3D prints plotted along an a light table almost 10 metres in length, and the second is Zhou Jie's Master's project CBD (2010), a scale model of Beijing's new central business district hand crafted from porcelain (one of China's main exports) situated on an ocean of white rice. A careful decision by the artist, as the rice represents “the food that has sustained Chinese civilisation”.

There is something exquisite on each floor of the gallery in this beautifully curated exhibition. On the first floor, Zong Ning's mixed media prints draw on elements of Surrealism and German Expressionism. On the second floor, MadeIn's (a play on 'Made in China') Xu Zhen has used common household piping bags to apply an oppressive amount of oil paint to form Under Heaven 20121018 (2012), a brilliant and intense work. Take the elevator to the third floor to experience the unusual quiet of He An's salvaged neon sign dedications, punctured only by the machine inflating Zhou Xiaohu's weather balloon. And don't miss Yang Yongliang's intricate work Infinite Landscape (2011) it's hidden down a passageway back on the first floor. After you've finished exploring the 4 levels of the gallery, you may want to pick up a catalogue and settle in to the cosy teahouse to sample some of the handmade dumplings. You will have to be quick to experience Smash Palace though, the gallery closes on August 4 to install the second exhibition for the year.

White Rabbit Gallery.