Van Gogh and Large Sum Insurance
Tang Xin
The Taikang Top Space Contemporary Art Center is holding an exhibit consisting of one artwork, a new collaboration by the Chinese artists Hong Hao and Yan Lei, "Taikang Project." The artwork consists of two parts, a large oil painting and three Taikang life insurance certificates. The painting is an expanded version of Van Gogh’s Ward in The Hospital in Arles. It differs from the original masterpiece in that both artists, Hong Hao and Yan Lei, appear in the ward with their heads wrapped in gauze. They are located on the two bottom corners. In the middle of the first of the paintings they have pasted original copies of their large sum insurance certificates, purchased separately. A sum of 700 million holds the attention of the viewers.
This is a collaboration between Hong Hao and Yan Lei, following their "Invitation" piece. When these two artists worked together to create "Invitation" in 1997, people in the art field and various academic journals were discussing the issue of Chinese artists’ fate in relation to the holding of power in global culture. Hong Hao and Yan Lei sent out an invitation for a Documenta Kassel exhibition to many Chinese artists, using the name Ielgnay Oahgnoh (both their names written backwards). This piece of work was an evaluation pointing at "the fate of Chinese artists and their power in relation to global culture," a practical joke that created uproar in the art field.
Today, as Chinese artists are receiving unprecedented attention, the market for contemporary Chinese art is also prosperous and vigorous. However, the large amount of insurance purchased for "Taikang Project" expresses the artists’ doubt and worries. The duration of these three pieces of insurance is one year, if they become sick or require hospitalization, Taikang Life Insurance will bear the responsibility and offer compensation. However, is it really for this that they wanted to be insured? Will this resolve their worries? The Dutch painter Van Gogh has always been a symbol of ideals for Chinese artists. "To paint like Van Gogh" has been embraced as a dream by many in this generation of artists, as well as a reflection on artist’s primary professional instinct. Chinese artists who have tread through more then ten years of a lonesome and difficult road, are now receiving attention and acquiring relatively decent working conditions. However, can they now "paint like Van Gogh?" "Taikang Project" is a simple yet powerful piece, showing both artists’ doubt and worry about the current situation. When they are faced with this reality, instead of simply raising criticisms, they have found a more appropriate channel of expression and a working method for this reality. Using three real large sum insurance certificates as an artistic medium, bestows a challenging power on the realistic and lively manner of expression.
This exhibition is the first of the "One piece series" to be curated by Taikang Top Space project this year. This series is curated by Tang Xin and each exhibit will be a collaboration of two or three artists completing one artwork. This will be an experimental series of collaborative exhibitions, a continuation of the discussion on the language and working methods of artistic production according to the current situation of contemporary Chinese art.
