WANG QINGSONG – PANIC, FEAR AND VIOLENCE

　　In this show at Marella Gallery Beijing, the artist Wang Qingsong is going to present works realized through different media such as photos, video and installations.

　　All these works focus on a peculiar topic: fears and phobias. Everybody is scared of something; also good acts and things, if exaggerated or exasperated, can become noxious.

　　The artist himself has to fight with his memories and feelings that make him uncomfortable.

　　All the artworks have some links with time and how it changes people and situations. Life is a process floating between the certain and the uncertain and human being becomes a powerless and violent participant at the same time.

　　HARD SEATS COMPARTMENT is a triptych that includes three photos: the first portrays a train carriage crowded and filled up with passengers, luggage and bags; the second is a carriage with many luggages and a man, Wang Qingsong himself, sitting in front of a bowl of instant noodles and the third is a completely empty carriage. This work reveals different kinds of gloomy feelings in a busy and messy place. The audience reaction is a sort of claustrophobic impression. The “Hard-seat” compartment is a very common choice of transportation in China, these carriages are often crowded with passengers and luggage piled up in the most various and unsecured ways. Many people travel long distances and when they stop somewhere their unsettled and often depressing feelings still inhabit their hearts. The artist himself experienced many times these crazy trips when people were raking everywhere and chaos and annoyance used to make him feel bad and breathless. This work reflects the themes of journey and immigration and what people are able to do and tolerate in order to move and improve their lives.

　　888,888 DARTS and 666,666 DARTS consist of 2 real objects and the related photos. The two objects are two darts boards semi-destroyed for being hit many timed by darts (supposedly 888888 and 666666 times referring also to numerology that has an important good omen in China). The artist wants to express that also a game could be dangerous and crazy if not controlled. Human mind could lose sanity if people fall in psychotic loops. Sometimes violence and madness can be caused by apparently safe situations and emotions like the vacuity and boredom of repetitive games and actions.

　　123,456 CHOPS is a work similar in the content to the previous one. In this case we have a wood block usually used for cutting meat, however here a normal and daily action has been changed into a crazy fury where the cuts are visible signs and the “clue” can remind the scene of a homicide. We are free to decide whether to use a certain single object or not and whether to turn a single move into a positive or negative way, but sometimes we lose control and we are not able to decide for ourselves anymore.

　　SKYSCRAPER is the title of a video where, without human intervention, an urban landscape changes due to the construction of golden scaffoldings high up to 40 meters. The development happens in 20 days but broadcasting this movement in fast forward makes it look like as a fool and non-sense growing up. Also in this occasion the man is actor and victim of the changes, the hard labour and the consequences. This is the evolving of time and space that belongs to our era, we are protagonists and spectators, causes but also powerless pawns of an uncontrolled chessboard.

　　WELCOME PANEL is a bronze panel of banning signs that the artist engraved. Wang Qingsong collects a varieties of “don’ts” and he creates his owns from life experience. We must face the fact that taboos of all sorts, social conventions, rituals, cultural ceremonies...restrict and move our minds. In fact boundaries, rules and restrictions are the factors that tempt and encourage human beings to do exactly what is forbidden.