Scholar's Boat

YEAR: 2014

MATERIAL: Fishing boat, antique furniture, wood structure

SIZE: 303 × 110 × 900 cm

VENUE EXHIBITED:

2014    Xiang Yang's Intellectual Garden, Today Art Museum, Beijing

2014    Park – 2014 Art Beijing Art Zone, Agricultural Exhibition Center, Beijing

The 9-meter-long installation is constructed of a traditional Chinese wood fishing boat, antique cabinets, and reconstructed chair parts. A fishing boat forms the base of the piece, and antique Chinese wood furniture (cabinets, closets, and window frames) are pieced together to form the house on top. Old wooden chairs are also deconstructed and rebuilt into two new abstract constructions which are placed at both ends of the work.

Antique furniture is often found in museums or shops for visitors to appreciate its historic and aesthetic value. In this work – the Scholar’s Boat – cabinets and chairs lose their original function. They are transformed into an abstract, futuristic space in which visitors can walk and rest. Ancient Chinese scholars often expressed themselves in nature by painting a small boat on a vast lake. My intention is to create a fantasy boat for contemporary scholars.