Dutch artists finds inspiration in Monkey King for giant installation
Print Edition
MONKEY King, or Sun Wukong, is a hero to many Chinese. The figure from the book “Journey to the West,” now has a new image as the Spring Festival and the Year of Monkey approaches.
Dutch artist Peter Riezebos has illustrated the Monkey King in his very Western perspective and artistic style in a total of 22 paintings. The paintings are now set up in a mountain-like art installation at Shanghai Xintiandi. The huge black metal rack and the modern interpretations of this traditional Chinese figure have been attracting visitors’ attention since they are put up last Friday.
Although a Westerner, Riezebos said he was impressed by the Monkey King’s story and his “extraordinary skills, wit, bravery and freedom”. The 36-year-old artist, who was born in the Year of Monkey himself, says he finds some connections with Monkey King himself. Riezebos came to China in 2009 alone in pursuit of his dream of being a painter and an artist. While the Monkey King travels to the West, Riezebos says he embarked on “a journey to the East”.
The artist uses dazzling colors and abstract lines and shapes to capture the essence of the character.
The massive installation is the brain child of both Riezebos and Cao Qitai, founder and chief art officer of art agency artgogo.com. Cao, also the co-creator and chief curator of the exhibition, uses his oriental visual language to organize Riezebos’ art works and shapes them to resemble the Chinese character “灞 (mountain).” The shape presents the Mountain of Flower and Fruit, Monkey King’s hometown. With special LED light effects at night, the whole installation creates a unique visual experience for visitors.
On the opening ceremony of the exhibition last Friday, Cao said that there is a deeper consideration behind their choice of shape. According to the novel “Journey to the West”, the Mountain is not only a holy symbol where the Monkey King is born, but also the ancestral vein for 10 continents and 3 islands as well as the foundation of the Earth. On the other hand, as the landmark and a must-see tourist destination in Shanghai, Xintiandi is a perfect amalgam of local culture and contemporary lifestyle.
Therefore, the relevance between the installation and Xintiandi is clear: it is an allusion for the latter to be a place where legends are born, a blessing of fortune and prosperity for the residents and the city.
Artgogo is a platform dedicated to promoting art to the public and finding affordable and vibrant art works for everyone.
The exhibition will run through February 29.
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