Dong Wensheng

Introduction

Dong Wensheng’s photography and video works are composed of enigmatic and surreal narratives set against visually rich backdrops. Drawing from a diverse mix of artistic influences including Yves Klein’s 1960 iconic photograph Leap into the Void, classical Chinese ink paintings, traditional Chinese gardens and porcelain, Dong’s practice probes the dynamics between the past, present and future.

The taihu rock is a reoccurring motif in Dong’s work. A taihu rock is held in a skeletal palm in Skeleton Rock (2007). There is something unsettling about the textures of the objects which appear to mirror each other, but the artist prefers to leave interpretation up to the viewer. In the video The Moment of Stone Sinking (2007), Dong traces the life journey of a taihu rock, after it is removed from modern civilization. The rock is uprooted by a crane, then transported by a truck to a wooden boat on a lake. It is then cast into the water, sinking to the bottom, returning to nature from where it was conceived. When released back into nature, the rock sheds the cultural associations that it was previously charged with.

Dong Wensheng studied art at Jiangsu University of Technology. His works are in the collections of M+, White Rabbit Gallery, and the Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts. 

POP ROCK in 2021 is Alisan Fine Arts’ first time working with the artist. We have also included his works at our booth Past & Present Landscapes, Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in 2022.