Convergence and Divergence Ⅰ

Exhibition Description

To me, “Convergence and Divergence” is trying to return to the activity of constructing sculpture in the creative process and reexplore physical behaviors and material elements, and being in a mutually conditioned active state and the displayed phenomenon of multiple dissociation and ambiguity to probe and excavate the hidden content and value behind sculpture’s own constructive actions. Also, through the reflection of such rapidly-changing and uncertain factors, I emphasize and present through the process of conversion a scenario between self and object.

This exhibition attempts to explore the relationship between the human body and industrialized scenario. Through the industrial material of metal, a state of modern industrial and material civilization is disclosed. First, in the exhibition space, which is a container 10 meters long, 5 meters wide, and 5 meters tall, visitors are first greeted by a bunch of broken limbs made of wrought iron—fragmented images of different parts are suspended and distributed in the space, constructing the reflections on the multiple meanings possibly generated by the work’s symbols of body, metal material, and space. In the entire exhibition venue, these lonely limbs have own fragmented images that form own discourses; however, they can also freely connect with one another to shape the subjective form of the statement of the works onsite. They stand out in the space, but also blend in with the space, jointly displaying an ambiguous state of convergence and divergence of the forms.

To the left of the venue, a full-body sculpture seems intact, but all five parts of its body, the head, arms, and torso, are completely out of place, and are suspended in mid-air, separating the intact form of the sculpture and scattering its parts in the space. These broken limbs respond to the space, but also generate a cohesive visual tension in the spatial ambience through the correspondence and connection between them.

However, this kind of cohesion or instability of visual emotions comes from the graphic language of the “suspended” broken limbs; in fact, it is simultaneously constructed on a physical force derived by metal: a kind of cognition of visual and tactile perceptions; that is, the disclosure of the expressive quality of welding that softens and connects metal in the process of construction, while also putting emphasis on a conscious state of humanities; also through welding together the layers, the evidence of manual manipulation is reinforced to declare an opposition between industrial scenario and humanities existing between the heavy metals’ own power and symbols of body.

Thus, in this exhibition, in addition to exploring the dialogue and possible derived meanings between symbols of body and metal materials, I also try to utilize the closed space onsite to create a kind of specific site ambience through the process of construction, thus enabling the works to construct the greatest energy they can display by leveraging the strength of external factors, and presenting a complicated dilemma generated by the inner spirit of men within the industrial ivory tower built by themselves.

Exhibition works