Biennale - Wang Qingsong, Competition & Debacle

Out of all the works that we saw last wednesday, Chinese artist Wang Qinsong's two c-prints stood out to me. As someone who is interested in society and its movements perhaps this is why. I also loved the color and use of space he portrays in the pictures. I have found in my research that society is the main focus of his work, and he has really interesting ways of portraying these themes.

I found an interview with the artist and Galerie URS Meile in Bejing that relates to his earlier work and how he progressed from painting to reflect society's rapidly changing pace.

http://www.galerieursmeile.com/artists/artists/wang-quinsong//work.html

The works Competition, 2004, and Debacle, 2009 were chosen as a part of the Sydney Biennale 'The Beauty of Distance - Songs of survival an a precarious age.' Qingsong particularly fits in the the latter of the phrases applied to this year's Biennale - as he captured the threads of society and how they are advancing and being altered. Competition is a frame depicting a 14 x 40m wall, displaying a random selection of slogans and phrases from local and international advertisements. There are over 3000 references to products and services. Here he captivates the overwhelming and fascinating amount of advertising that envelopes the world and society today. He also references the likeness of this conflict and the casualties that arise to war.

Debacle is on a similar theme, using the posters and advertisements, but reflects the emptiness and void created by the recession. The contrast of the two works cause a reflection of society's saturation and then the fragility.

http://www.wangqingsong.com/html/html/competition-large.htm