beijing okay

This weekend I saw an exciting large video piece called "Yellow Signal" at the Ullen's Center from artist Wang Jianwei.  

The piece was exhibited in the tremendous, cavernous back room of the museum and consists of five separated "rooms" with silent projections above each side of each entrance, making it only possible to see two at once.  The videos show scenes and settings like a crowded migrant worker's dormitory, a turbulent courtroom scene, a sports arena a military medical examination and a housing community.  The sets are all filled with characters acting in disturbing ways in each setting, like frantically practicing ping pong in the sports arena or violently criticizing the accused in the court setting.  The characters also move from set to set, creating a "storyline" of sorts and giving the effect that the entire piece is performed live.  The color yellow, which is in the name of the piece and is notable in the stage lighting, has pornographic or forbidden undertones in Chinese, so this may also tie in.

Also notable was the Faurschou show of photographs of Lucian Freud by David Dawson as well a painting of said photographer.  I remember the last and only time I saw a Freud painting in person I was 16 or so and it was the rather infamous Leigh Bowery series.

David and Eli, 2003-4

Not so notable was the preposterously self important Diane von Furstenberg "Journey of a Dress," which features endless paintings and photographs of the designer over the past few decades along with "you go girl" type inspirational drivel slapped all over the walls.