Is this dissident art? The sculpture “Obscure Space III” by Xiang Yi shows a dehumanizing image of a person squeezed through a water pipe. The image is somewhat reminscent of Charlie Chaplin caught in the gears in Modern Times. It’s especially an interesting statement about the time and place where it appeared.
The sculpture premiered at an exhibition in Wuhan, one of the fastest growing cities in China with 9 million people. Wuhan is a major industrial center, with car and steel manufacturing as well as a lot of high-tech development. So maybe it’s not suprising that Xiang is commenting on the power of science to distort and crush us. But if that’s too pesimistic for you, here’s a happier image from the same show, “Beyond Space Time” by sculptor Sun Shaoqun. Images by China Photos/Getty Images
