WANG  ZHIYUAN
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Artworks > 2013 > Close to the Warm

Mixed media Dimension Variable

The work Close to Warmth consists of an old electrical cable, a light bulb, and tens of thousands of "flies" surrounding the light bulb. These "flies" are paper stickers of varying sizes with different two-character Chinese words written on them.

The words used in Close to Warmth can be broadly divided into two categories: positive (good) words and negative (bad) words. When I installed it, I decided to reverse this so that the "bad" words (e.g. fear, anger, misery, traitor, and trepidation, etc.) would be closer to the light and the "good" words (e.g. making efforts, making progress, strong, fearless, and passion, etc.) would be further away from the light. Because the cable is warm, lots of "flies" are parked on it. These are all negative four-character idioms, such as disappointed and pessimistic, dragging out an ignoble or meaningless existence, drifting from place to place in hardship, and partners in crime, etc.

The title "Close to Warmth" was inspired by a Chinese idiom which means "get warm by sticking together". These words wander about like floating ghosts. There is no purpose and there is no meaning. Their greatest wish is to find a goal in the sea of darkness. That tiny bit of "warmth (the light source)" is the motivation they are looking for. This work can also incorporate words from other cultures and let "flies" that speak different languages experience their search in the dark night together.