Capturing the Coded Poetics of the Universe: Yin Xiuzhen’s Latest Exhibition
All around us, there are small things that capture the coded poetics of the universe, and in Chinese artist Yin Xiuzhen’s latest exhibition at the Power Station of Art (PSA), they manifest in the form of the highlight from one’s eyes, worn shoes, and meticulously piled dust.
Piercing the Sky: A Journey Through Yin’s Vision
Visitors are welcomed into the PSA through Yin’s vessel-like installation, Piercing the Sky (2024), which lends the exhibition its title. Equal parts tractor, sedan, and plane, the flying machine invites participants into its belly and to gaze upwards to a mosaic of clothing donated by the public to the artist. Referred to by Yin as a person’s “second skin”, these clothes are repositories of memory and identity, with shades of black and grey morphing into a saturated, translucent fissure where the needle punctures the ‘sky’.
A Communal Art-Making Experience
This thread of collaborative, and almost communal, art-making is even more palpable in the following two colossal installations. Action and Reflection in Shanghai (2024) gathers 100 pairs of shoes and their stories in a tactile and sentimental display of longing, heartbreak, and vulnerabilities. The lumpy, dough-like legs from which each shoe hangs border on the repulsive and, yet, their stories spur profound tenderness. Nearby, 1080 Breaths at PSA Shanghai takes their shape as glass droplets, embodying a meditative and ritualistic quality.
Perceiving the World Through Yin’s Eyes
Yin is an artist who is gifted with the ability to perceive the world in ways that may not be obvious to most. In Screen Wall of Gaze (2024), she captures highlights and reflections from the eyes of friends and other readily available material to create a wall that scatters them like “windows to the soul”. These hoarded fragments are perhaps the closest we’ll ever get to understanding our world through the eyes of another.
Exploring Perception and Philosophy Through the Mundane
Her sonic structure, Tower of Sound (2023-24), with stretches of skin-toned nylon stockings over what looks like a futuristic cosmic weapon, is further testimony to the artist’s desire to juxtapose hard and soft, absolute and uncertainty.
A Thoughtful Reflection on Existence
In a pitch-black, largely empty room, Golden Horn (2024) encapsulates the universe through the critical but sympathetic lens of a romantic. The audio installation plays the Voyager Golden Record that was launched into space in 1977, with sounds of human civilization that would only be heard by extraterrestrials should they encounter the spacecraft.
Conclusion
Yin Xiuzhen: Piercing the Sky is a profound exploration of perception, memory, and humanity, inviting viewers to contemplate the beauty and complexity of the world around us.
FAQs
What is the theme of Yin Xiuzhen’s exhibition?
The exhibition delves into themes of memory, identity, and collective art-making experiences.
What is the significance of the clothing mosaic in Piercing the Sky?
The clothing mosaic represents a person’s “second skin” and serves as a repository of memory and identity.
How does Yin Xiuzhen explore perception in her works?
Yin captures highlights and reflections from various sources to create pieces that offer unique perspectives on the world.
What is the central ethos that binds Yin’s diverse pieces together?
The central ethos explores perception and philosophy through everyday, mundane objects and experiences.
How does Yin juxtapose different elements in her works?
Yin juxtaposes hard and soft, absolute and uncertainty in her creations to evoke a sense of complexity and depth.
What is the message behind the Golden Horn installation?
The installation reflects on human existence and our place in the vast universe, contemplating our significance and connection to the cosmos.
How does Yin invite viewers to engage with her art?
Yin creates immersive experiences that prompt viewers to reflect on their own perceptions, memories, and emotions.
What is the overall atmosphere of Yin’s exhibition at the Power Station of Art?
The exhibition offers a mix of tenderness, contemplation, and sensory experiences, creating a thought-provoking journey through the artist’s unique vision.
How does Yin’s work challenge traditional notions of art and life?
Yin disrupts the conventional boundaries between art and life by incorporating everyday materials and experiences into her creations, blurring the lines between the two.
What is the lasting impact of Yin Xiuzhen’s exhibition on viewers?
The exhibition leaves a lasting impression on viewers, prompting them to reconsider their own perceptions, memories, and connections to the world around them.
Tags
Art, Exhibition, Yin Xiuzhen, Power Station of Art, Perception, Memory, Identity