Gong Xinru is good at collecting the stuffs that can be observed in daily life, reorganizing and rearranging them with his unique black humor, which are merged into a symbolic kingdom in his work. In particular, the transformation of the road sign in Gong’s work indicates his reflection on the dilemma of reality. Modern society usually becomes a matrix through a highly joined and developed road system, and individuals become anchors that move through the matrix. Our consciousness and action seem to be free but are actually dominated by the lines that defined by the system all the time. Under the exterior convenient order that provided by road signs and signal lights, the destinies of modern individual are controlled indifferently. Individuals are logically symbolized under such a simple instruction.

Gong Xinru gathers various descriptions of emotions and desires and marks them as road names in his works. When the audiences are placed in front of the work, they seem to follow and experience the instruction of the signs. The process of watching is simulated to a compliance of road signs and signals as driving, suggesting that we were being disciplined and domesticated by our own design ignorantly. Ironically, the artist has intentionally overlapped these indicators together in his work, depriving the regularity and clarity of indicators. The chaotic emotions and desires are emerged and intertwined here. A world that full of materialistic desires seems to be revealed in front of our sights. The various eye-catching prints with small and weak human figures suggest our own dilemmas, which also reveals some irreversible identity.

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Liang Project Co Space

Artist: Gong Xinru

Curator: Liang Qin

Duration: 2018.3.10 – 2018.4.8

Opening: 2018.3.10 16:00 – 18:00

Address: Room 102, Building 18, No.50 Moganshan Road, Putuo District, Shanghai