Note: Hanging an exquisitely made sign with “Non-Exhibition Area”in both Chinese and English on the wall and the neighboring non-exhibition areas such as the restrooms and hallways.
Description: The installation of “Non-Exhibition Area” is a reminder of the audience’s “over-examination”. It is the audience’s expectation on the premise of “exhibition” that deflects the significance of “exhibits”. In another word, the significance of “exhibits” is generated through the “over-examination” and “over-interpretation” of the audience. Putting emphasis on the “non-exhibition area” seems to be helpful with correcting the situation, but in return it inevitably gives birth to another layer of “interpretation”. This kind of symbolic installation, does it suggest the “intersexuality of examination”, or does it further extend “over-examination”?
Explanatory note : In daily life, when we feel there are too many things in a room, we’ll pile and close them aside to make out a space. Instead by the method, I pile the ready-made things such as desks and chairs along side of the corner wall. Thus, the stack, the “non-exhibits”, have to be displayed together with the other installation exhibits in the exhibit room.
Representation: What’s the definition of delimiting an art work? What’s the boundary between art and non-art? If the stack can’t be called art work, what is the boundary between the stack and the so-called art works around? If they can be called art work, can the many things extend from it be called art works? So, what does delimit the concept of a “work”, the exhibition, the audience’s observation, or the creator’s creation?
Explanatory note : Borrowing the form of the public billboard with copper words, locate a large-sized copper-letter billboard of “Meishu(Art)” in the art museum which the other installation works are showing together.
Representation : The large-size copper-letter billboard located together with the other works can be shining sparkly, like a title mark of the exhibition and its exhibits. It seems to be a legitimate and reasonable action that the “Meishu(Art)” copper-letter is located in the art museum, but the audience can be puzzled by it because of the feeling of strange. That is to say, the great difference can impel the audience to reconsider the concept “art”. The concept of art history, classical, modern, Chinese, western, money, reality, fictitious, etc. are focused instantly in the golden ring of light caused by this neutral thing.
Note : Nine commercial paintings are hung in a row in a comprehensive art exhibition hall where both paintings and installations are exhibited.
Description : The creator of the installation transforms the commercial paintings into the material of an installation in order to avoid the mandatory censorship (either tangible or intangible) imposed on paintings. Hung on the wall of the exhibition hall, the commercial paintings seem to be in no difference to other exhibiting paintings. As commercial paintings, they are all products of market regulation and constitute a certain kind of contrast with other “artistic works” exhibited in the hall which are regulated by the artistic institution. Such an act blurs the so-called artistic standard and thus highlights the irony on the current artistic institution. The so-called contrast between artistic space and social space becomes clear yet ambiguous. And the uncertain differences will prompt viewers to rethink the so-called boundaries of art and non-art.
