Lu Yang: A Torturous Vision at I/O Input/Output Gallery, Hong Kong

Lu Yang’s solo exhibition “A Torturous Vision” at the gallery I/O (Input/Output) in Hong Kong was a quite controversial show. Lu Yang presented three video works and four large scale canvases. The dominating work was Dictator, a music video set to a composition by the sound artist Wang Changcun. Dictator is based on a previous work, Happy Tree, that shows living animals being treated with a centrally controlled pulse of electricity in a small tank. For Dictator, Lu Yang extracted some footage of Happy Tree and transformed it into highly aesthetical and technical forms.

In addition to Dictator, I/O presented Happy Tree and a video showing the process of applying electricity to frogs. Lu Yang’s solo show also presented canvases showing two of the four projects with which Yang cooperated with science teams, including Zombie Music Box – Underwater Frog Leg Ballet and Ultimate Energy Conversion – Instruman.

Lu Yang was born in Shanghai in 1984. She is a graduate from the China Academy of Art in the Master of Arts New Media department. Recent shows include the solo exhibition The Power of Reinforcement, curated by Zhang Peili, Zendai Moma, Shanghai 2009; and groups exhibitions such as Jungle, Platform China, Beijing, 2010; Go, OCT Contemporary Art Terminal, Shenzhen, 2010; Bourgeoisified Proletariat , Shanghai, 2009; Quantity Bears Identity, Kultflux, Vilnius, Lithuania, 2009; Itchy, BizArt, Shanghai, 2009; Spade, T-Space, Beijing, 2008; eArts Festival, Shanghai, 2008; and New Directions from China, Plug.In, Basel, Switzerland, 2007.

I/O (Input/Output) is a recently established Hong Kong gallery focused on New Media. Through exhibitions, performances and talks I/O (Input/Output) aims to provide a critical platform for practice and debate amongst artists, curators and critics working across contemporary disciplines including digital art, design and sound.

Click here for an interview with Lu Yang by Robin Peckham at Digicult.it and an interview with I/O’s Assistant Creative Director, Rachel Connelly at Art Radar Asia.

Lu Yang: A Torturous Vision at I/O Input/Output Gallery, Hong Kong. Hong Kong, 2010.

> Right-click (Mac: ctrl-click) this link to download Quicktime video file.

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