Historic Residence, 2009

Hong Kong 2016
Historic Residence

Kiang Malingue

Photography
C-Print
60.0 x 60.0 (厘米)
23.6 x 23.6 (吋)
A set of 18 images 60 x 60 cm each The installation replicates and enlarges of a section of 1960s historical architecture, Chairman Mao’s summer villa in Shaoshan Dishuidong, Hunan Province, China. and the 18 photo series is a 360 degree interior documentation from the installation of the "light yellow" and "apple green" bathrooms. About 'Historic Residence': The original 1950s-60s architectural details are reproduced in every detail—porcelain bathtubs, sinks, cabinets, mosaic floor tiles and even glass light fixtures, and save for the dramatically scaled up dimensions of the rooms, they are near exact replicas of the twin bathrooms occupying the residence (now converted to a public museum). Traces of political inclination, the passage of time, and personal attributes are all embedded in the retro-styled color scheme: regal yellow for the Stately leader and apple green for the leading lady whose stage name contained the word “apple”. Accompanying the installation is a soundtrack with two voices repeating lines from the tour guide explaining the significance of the two colors. The sound element of the work may be easily overlooked but it is here that Wang’s clear interest in the symbolic significance of the colors, not to mention the absurd grandeur allocated to these private spaces, becomes apparent.