Zhu Tong
Fable, a straw that shows which way the wind blows, and a path through which wisdom is acquired. With the theme of ‘Fable’, Zhao Yiqian’s solo exhibition aims to invent the appropriation and falsification of historic significance, classical art and images of pop icons, and to assemble them into a new compilation of fables. They, in the distant future, will be transformed into a sort of ‘credible’ historical materials, showing the ambiguous future and the unnamable landscape of timeliness with a Nabokovian sense of the absurd.
Highly imaginative and fantastic as they are, the works created by Zhao Yiqian from 2013 to the present are pop images that are full of metaphors and parodies of reality, with connections to the childhood memories of the 80s and 90s generation. Meanwhile, the emergence of smiling faces interrupt the visual logic of cold-war Political Pop elements in the works. Smiling faces, a symbol of contemporary emoji culture, invade all cultural occasions at all times and in all countries - is this not the situation that we are facing nowadays? Forming a gorgeous appearance, the ‘New Idol’ is in fact a ritualistic manifestation - demonstrating a mysterious spirituality and belief, but with a trace of connection and interaction with the reality. It comes upon us. It is neither a trial nor a salvation, but an allegorical warning underneath the masked smile, which conveys the mystery of the painting and also illustrates spiritual power. This figure is shaped with poses like Chaplin’s dance steps, which is a little cute and a little frustrating, and somehow amusing. It raises a troubling question, that is, what is the core behind the smiling face?
“Destruction remains the fundamental alternative to production: consumption is merely an intermediate term between the two”. As Zhao Yiqian reflects on consumerism, the relationships of production, destruction and consumption is often found in his image universe. For the artist, ‘destruction’ is a necessary tool, through which he constructs new narratives. The works of ‘SMILE OF THE NEW WORLD’ created in 2019 and the work created in 2017 both took reference from the same image, however, the numb appearances are gradually turned into rigid smiling faces, which responds to ‘smile’, yet it is full of signs and ironies, suggesting some kind of entropy of gradual collapse. And in the work ‘Liar’, the fallen Pinocchio keeps a joking and smiling face, as if he is illustrating the insubstantiality of his lies.
Throughout the whole exhibition, Zhao Yiqian takes one on an archaeological journey into the past, where one will be able to witness cartoon figures, as a part of the popular culture, invade all aspects of contemporary life. Eventually when the colourful ‘New Idol’ comes upon the audience, one will realise that the artist is offering us new possibilities in viewing the world with his art. The consumer society has brought about professionalism in all walks of life, however, it also creates forced professional smiles that are almost mechanical. Smiles bring about joy, yet simulated smiles bring about sense of distance. No matter what kind of fable it is, the artist anticipates that each viewer will be able to find his/her own answer.