chen wei: solo exhibition at m97 gallery, shanghai

chen wei: solo exhibition at m97 gallery, shanghai m97 gallery, shanghai november 14th, 2009 to january 15th, 2010

idol behind the curtains, 2009 100cm x 120cm, edition of 6

this show at m97 gallery is photographer chen wei’s first solo exhibition in shanghai. the work of the 29-year-old artist incorporates influential objects and happenings from childhood or fantasies, fragments of personal memories, imagined against the realities found in modern china. taxidermy, melted wax, deserted rooms, etc., become the artist’s tableau, in which he creates scenes that leave the viewer puzzled by their narrative and odd beauty – some works expressing a sense of isolation or estrangement to an already bizarre scene of events.

most of the works are created in the artist’s studio and photographed, with the end result being less about the camera process and more about the arrangement of the selected elements and objects.

chen wei currently lives and works in beijing.

some dust, 2009 100 cm x 100 cm, edition of 6

light on the folding bed, 2009 100 cm x 130 cm, edition of 6

rental service, 2009 100 cm x 120 cm, edition of 6

entrance to the garden, 2009 100 cm x 120 cm, edition of 6

fixed balls, 2009 100 cm x 100 cm, edition of 6

lost things, 2009 100 cm x 120 cm, edition of 6