The Mirror Will Soon Disappear from the World Chapter II: The Hare Who Understood Art in Beuys’ Arms

stage; performance; mask; mirror; wall painting
dimensions variable

2020

"The Mirror Will Soon Disappear from the World" is a multi-chapter series of works. “The Hare Who Understood Art in Beuys’ Arms” executed in theatrical installation combined with performance, is the second chapter of the series.

As recurrent imagery of the series, the mirror is understood as a vehicle that delivers a “false image” - a pure reflection of the viewer rather than the mirror itself. The mirror and its meaning have therefore been reduced to a “reminder of presence”, both for the artist and the audience.

In this work, Chen took inspiration from Joseph Beuys’ 1965 performance “How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare”, while the installation suggests the “absence” of the hare. Chen sees art as a message that went beyond the language and interpretation, and actively practices the linguistic paradox, and language production in art.

-Poppy Dongxue Wu

The first live performance was in X Museum, Cuigezhuang, China, 2020/5/29