"More China Than You"
Vital 07, Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester. 20 Nov.2007 Photograper: James Champion
LEE Wenfs performances and installations often expose and question the ideologies and value systems of individuals as well as social structures. His work attempts to combine Southeast Asian contexts with international currents in contemporary art. Lee emphasizes versatility in strategizing and establishing visual language, meaning and message through live performance work. He is also interested in developing new possibilities of performativity and interactivity in art. His early practice was associated with the Artists Village, an alternative art group in Singapore and later forged a more individuated artistic career. Lee has been represented at the Busan Biennale (2004), the 3rd Asia Pacific Triennial in Brisbane (1999), the Sexta Bienal de La Habana, (1997), the Kwang Ju Biennial (1995), the 4th Asian Art Show, Fukuoka (1994) Sea Art Festival, Busan Biennale (S.Korea, 2004), National Review of Live Art (Scotland, 2004 & 2005). Born in Singapore, Lee now lives and works extensively on a global circuit and based between Singapore and Tokyo. Leefs enthusiasm as an artist goes beyond his solo work and continues to be active and involved with the new generation in spawning possibilities of collaborations, networks and dialogical discourses. In 2003 Lee initiated, gThe Future of Imaginationh, an international performance art event encompassing forum, documentation and presentation of performance art in Singapore. Since 1999 Lee has also worked with Black Market International an utopian performance art ggrouph comprising artists from various countries and cultural backgrounds. Lee was awarded the gCultural Medallionh, Singaporefs cultural award for artistic excellence in 2005.
"More China Than You"
Vital 07, Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester. 20 Nov.2007 Photograper: James
Champion
This is based on a new performance series that I began in May at the Louisiana
Museum of Art gMade in Chinah exhibition and may be also presenting a continuation
of the work in Vital 07. As an ethnic Chinese born outside of China, in
post-colonial Singapore one is often mistaken for being from China and
face various stereo-typing of identity. This stereotyping is also apparent
when meeting Chinese from mainland China who have various expectations
of us such as the ability to speak fluently, perfect Chinese or Mandarin
language instead of other languages or unfamiliarity with traditions. My
past works such as the gJourney of a yellow manh and gNeo-Babah series
had confronted such issues as well as raising the complexity of identity
politics in the age of post-colonialism, globalization and multi-culturalism.
Since the founding of the present state of modern China there had been
rapid and volatile changes. As Singapore had over the years of consistent
progress and development gained a confidence of its own national identity,
it is being dazed and astounded by the rise of China as a world economic
and political power and today seemed likely to veer itself towards its
historical roots as a majority of its population and leadership is of Chinese
descent. The world at large too is mesmerized, as the global capitalistic
world economy is just as anxious to embrace China into their ever-expanding
markets as much as the largest nation state of communist ideals is willing
to compromise themselves in order to enrich their less developed economy.
What position should one take in the face of such geo-political contradictions?
How can one reconcile onefs true identity and maintain the sovereignty
of art at the risk of losing the purity of live performance art work without
compromising into being a tool of the state or a product for the market?
"Almost untitled" Future of Imagination 2, Singapore 2004
=>Small East Asia
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