Wang Jianwei’s solo exhibition, “Dirty Substance” will be on display at Long March Space from September 19 to November 1, 2015. This exhibition is a compiled “rehearsal”, in that it records the past two to three years of the artist’s work; while continuing his practice, he is continuously suspicious of established facts, and presenting it in this new body of work. “Dirty”, or “unclean” substances, raise questions surrounding notions of “clean” substances; the question he raises (to which he knows the answer) is in regards to the substance that exists within the process of time – that which is waiting, somehow, to be “washed” – to be identified and distinguished. “Dirty Substance” emphasizes from where substances’ constant flux state arises – as they come into existence, they are unable to be “cleaned” of written rules or criterion; in other words, they are unable to be immediately or fully absorbed. Just as the artist said, “How is a thing or an event always able to openly choose that which it relates to? And how does it maintain this state, or risk being incomplete? Whether or not these states are the same or not, it is nevertheless, authentic in its contradictory form.” How is the process of this contradictive notion of completeness rehearsed? And exhibited? Consequently, the exhibition site will simultaneously present the artist’s thoughts about this “impasse” and the form he foresees it taking. The artwork itself will incorporate installation, sculpture, painting and performance, amongst other types of mixed media to fulfill the artist’s exploration.
On the afternoon of September 19 at the opening of “Dirty Substance”, the artist-founded “Crystal Group” will present a new performative practice. The “Crystal Group” is open and without set members; using discussions, readings, conversations and performances as a means to interact with the audiences; it presents a new and comprehensive performative method. Due to the uncertainty around the notions of time and space, the scale and changes produced by the “Crystal Group” will be multifarious within different environments. This exhibition will be the first time the group performs for a public audience. That afternoon, the book A Moment of Weakness, compiled by the academic critic, Lu Mingjun, will also be released. It will include the thoughts found within the recent years of Wang Jianwei’s work, as well as the prose text written after the in-depth discussions held between Wang and Lu.
About the exhibition
Dates: Sep 19, 2015--Nov 1, 2015
Venue: Long March Space
Courtesy of the artist and Long March Space.
