Macau artist Wong Weng Cheong unveils his installation artwork at the Venice Art Biennale
The 60th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Art Biennale, La Biennale di Venezia was inaugurated on April 20 and will run until November 24. Curated by Adriano Pedrosa, the title of this year’s exhibition is Foreigners Everywhere, a concept drawn from a series of works started in 2004 by the Paris-born and Palermo-based Claire Fontaine collective. The works consist of neon sculptures in different colours that render in a growing number of languages the words “Foreigners Everywhere”. The phrase comes, in turn, from the name of a Turin collective who fought racism and xenophobia in Italy in the early 2000s.
“The expression Foreigners Everywhere has several meanings. First of all, wherever you go and wherever you are, you will always encounter foreigners— they/we are everywhere. Secondly, that no matter where you find yourself, you are always truly, and deep down inside, a foreigner,” explains Pedrosa.
A guiding principle of the Art Biennale is to invite artists who have never participated in the International Exhibition before, and this year, one of those chosen artists is Macau artist Wong Weng Cheong who is presenting his large-scale installation art work Above Zobeide.
Wong Weng Cheong travelled to Venice in early April, along with the curator of the project, Chang Chan to set up the installation work and digital prints, which are presented in space of 100 square metres filled with a mysterious rocky landscape inhabited by strange, long-legged sheep-like creatures.
“The title of this year’s exhibition really resonated with us because it reflects on the idea of displacement,” says the curator Chang Chan. “We tried to connect this installation with some of the artist’s previous works which also featured these sheep.”
The curator goes on to explain that Wong Weng Cheong projects himself into these sheep, with their long legs representing a desire to reach for the sky and attain a higher level of spiritual enlightenment. However, paradoxically, as they grow taller, they get further and further away from the grassland that is their source of food, so they begin to starve.
“This represents a kind of spiritual displacement, which I think a lot of people feel. If you are an idealist or if you are pursuing something creative, it is difficult to live properly in this society sometimes,” notes the curator. “As an artist, Wong Weng Cheong also feels a sense of this marginalised lifestyle.”
The title of the work Above Zobeide is inspired the famous novel Invisible Cities by Italian writer Italo Calvino.
“In the novel, Zobeide is basically a city of desire established by a group of men who are searching for a woman who they saw in their dreams. And over time, the city attracts more and more people who are also following their dreams and desires,” Chang Chan explains.
To create the project, Wong Weng Cheong used a variety of software applications including ZBrush, Maya and SketchUp, before sending his final creations to be 3D printed in a factory in China.
“We started working on everything in November last year. The 3D printing is expensive, but it would be much more expensive if he created the sculptures in a traditional way.”
So far, reaction to the exhibit has been extremely positive, and the duo are looking forward to welcoming more visitors in the coming months.
“It’s a great honour to represent Macau at La Biennale di Venezia. The whole experience has been both challenging and exciting for the artist and me,” says Chang Chan. “We feel incredibly lucky to have received so much support from various parties, making this endeavour possible. Plus, our exhibition has received lots of favourable comments from visitors around the world, which makes the journey even more rewarding. The Biennale offers a fantastic opportunity for us to connect with a global audience, and we are deeply grateful for the chance to share Macau’s voice in such a significant way.”
Above Zobeide
Artist：黃穎祥 Wong Weng Cheong
Curator： 常嬋 Chang Chan
Venue：Istituto Santa Maria della Pietà, Castello 3701, Venice, Italy
Opening period： 20/4 – 24/11/ 2024
