Time to Op Out
The two main groups of work featured in Nanjing-based artist Wang Qiang's solo exhibition seem at odds with each other: The bold-hued and geometric line paintings recall the abstract and op art movements while the intricate polystyrene structural installations populated by toy figurines are part J-pop, part Futurism. The paintings are ostensibly abstract and Western influenced; the installations are composed of Asian-themed props including anime action figures and bulbous onion-shaped glass vials. Upon further consideration however, the title "Optical Games in a Limited Freedom" hints at an underlying logic that yokes together the seemingly divergent styles. The optical illusion aspect of the paintings is obvious; the lines can become dizzying to stare at. The limited freedom manifests itself in what Gallery Director Leonora Battiston described in her introduction as "the wit” and “irony” of the fact that the line patterns are actually pre-printed, diverted and not completely painted in. The installations, on the other hand, are also an optical illusion in the sense that they resemble reproductions of digitally generated images. But rather than being submerged in the fantasy microcosm of a Blade Runner urbanscape dominated by superheroes and dinosaurs, the installations can be read as a mise-en-scene parodying our postmodern lives. Hence, limited freedom: We like the figurines isolated on their own patch of polystyrene turf, exist in a world of digitally induced isolation. Wang Qiang’s works do not represent a mere meditation on existing art movements; the greatest optical illusion lies in seeing beyond the limited freedom of our own preconceived notions about art.

Xiao Hu