An inside view of New life
By admin on 2014-12-29

Pace Beijing's Bauhaus-style architecture and its grand interior is currently being occupied with installations made from hundreds of pieces of old clothing once worn by everyday people, all collected by Beijing-based artist Yin Xiuzhen over the past 10 years and now given a new life.

Entitled The Second Skin, the exhibition features 20 pieces of new works by Yin, who is widely recognized as one of today's most talented Chinese female artists. She has dramatically transformed the discarded old clothing into arresting works, which have been attracting large crowds each day.

At the entrance of the space is a piece named Highway, an installation inspired by the huge number of highways that are being built throughout China. It is not a simple replica of a stretch of highway from the realistic world – although the piece does look like a highway in its form, it is actually covered with many old clothes that have been meticulously sewn together, giving the appearance of a bed.

"In China numerous highways are being built at a very dramatic pace, here the word 'pace' is always overly pursued," Yin explained, adding that she used soft old clothes to slow the speed of the highway down and its resemblance to a bed indicates a place for rest, making people rethink the fast-pace in every aspect of Chinese society today.

Another highlight of the exhibition is a piece named Thought, a huge brain-shaped installation that is also covered with colorful clothing. Viewers can go inside the brain and enjoy a short moment of peace, avoiding the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

"It was so great when I was staying in the huge brain," exclaimed Liu Yi, who attended the exhibition Saturday. "I really found my heart at peace when I sat there and closed my eyes and nothing was in my mind!"

For the artist Yin, who is known for her castoff objects – old clothing, discarded shoes and old photos, a constant theme in her work is slowing down and avoiding the fast-changing world.

Using old clothes is her unique way at interpreting the world from a perspective of individual memories, while she transforms the rags into installations reflecting the people who once used them. For The Second Skin, which will be on show until May 8, Yin gathered hundreds of pieces of old clothing, many of which were donated by people from around the world.

"These old clothes are endowed with a second life while on display here, each piece tells a story of an individual we may not know," she said. "When different old clothes from different people are put together, a new collective with various memories is formed."

Yin started using old clothing in her works in 1995, when the piece Dress Box was created with a bunch of old clothes that Yin had owned since childhood. All of the clothes she had worn in the past 30 years were wrapped up in cement and then sealed into an old dress box that was made by her father and had been used for several decades.

"Through the work I saw the clear image of my personal experiences and a period of history that belongs to everyone of my age," Yin said. "In a country where everything is changing so fast, the change of clothes is also incredible."

Aside from making installations with discarded clothing, Yin often juxtaposes intimate objects from people's everyday life, such as fruit and butter, with iron and cement, forming a stark contrast in a single work.

The installation Stage is among the works of this kind. On a square table made of cement displayed at the exhibition, fresh colorful fruits such as apples, bananas, pears and lemons are inlaid. Some pieces have remained in their original state, while others have spoiled.

"Surrounded by firm and cold cement some of the fruits stay fresh longer, but others spoil very quickly, which might indicate a person's struggle in making a living in a poor living environment," explained a worker at the gallery. "The artist always praises the vitality of ordinary people facing harsh situations."