Works of Wu Rigen

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WURIGEN WORKS



Wurigen at the Crossroad of History By all accounts, China seems to be at a crossroads in history — from its burgeoning dominance as an economic and political player to its prominence on the art world stage and its stance on first amendment and human rights. In any society it is generally the artists, through their work, that uphold a mirror reflecting the social mores of the times. It is within this environment that the artist Wurigen is poised to offer us a glimpse of the terrain on which we currently stand and a choice regarding the direction we should be heading. Crossroad is

Formally, Crossroad is a diaphanous rendition of a life-sized sheep standing atop a low pedestal. Sculpted out of clear resin, the tranquility of the composition is marred by the startling

stock in the biblical creation story of Adam and Eve (and the artist has indicated that the bible is a source of inspiration for the work) then it becomes interesting to note that the sheep is actually

purity, and sacrifice but on the other hand have also stood for conformism, stupidity and helplessness. In the Inner Mongolian Silingol where Wurigen spent his formative years these animals are a fundamental component to the social and economic fabric of that culture. The artist, a scholar of philosophy and theology, sets up here an intersection of belief between the two disciplines for us to consider. In doing this he challenges our modern day allegiances to faith versus reason, spirituality versus technology. Consider for a moment the sustaining conviction

conversely meant to point out our latter day hubris resulting from the god-like achievements of modern science? Perhaps a clearer answer to these questions can be gleaned by a comparison with another

culture. Consequently the negotiation between the two becomes a delicate balancing act within this work, though it is clearly inferred that our current consciousness is mired in the seductive lure of mass culture.

continues is still to be determined but it seems, according to the artist, that we as a society are at the crucial moment to decide.




A Lamb Lingering at Crossroad When Wurigen sent the image of his lamb to me via email, it was an“unpolished” work where the lamb was still lingering on the crossroad of making a choice. The term “crossroad” properly depicts the spiritual reality of our time, as we have to make all kinds of choices. On the

help lingering in front of it. It really seems that human beings are destined to make decisions at“crossroads”. When which enabled him to choose between living in the Eden or to be an ordinary man on earth, choices”. that the constant choices of human beings between their universal rationalities and limited life

life?

took one rib from his body and made it into a woman. It was this rib that led to human wisdom, while it was also the prime factor for the mortality of man. Eve, the woman made from the rib, was seduced by the Snake to eat the Fruit of Wisdom, and shared it with her husband who had

finitude of the body and universality of their rational, human beings suffer from everlasting

globalization, while the image surpasses the boundary of time and space to manifest the doom free will and the accumulation of culture. Once when we were looking at a supernatural installation work by the British artist Lucas, I asked others about their opinion of the cucumber erected on the bed. They unanimously took it for granted that it was a symbol of male genital. Then I asked, “what if you were a rabbit?” They were dumbfounded for a second and then all burst into laughter. For rabbits, obviously a longer simply a cucumber, but represents certain culture.


lamb was usually applied as the symbol of the sacrifice Christ had made for human. And in together was usually depicted as one of the presents of the shepherds, as a metaphor to imply According to Wurigen, this crystal work was created according to the characteristics of a ewe, while the bloodstained rib is taken from a ram. I laughed and said,” You have played the Through this work, human beings today smartly reverse the story of male giving birth to the Eden, we do know that the wisdom of human beings originated from Eve, incarnation of a have been no woman, not to mention matters such as eating the Fruit of Wisdom later on. The “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

untransformed rib is endowed with wisdom yet.

today!

comparatively united spiritual support. but also disdain the “light of rationality” fostered by the Enlightenment Movement. As a result, everyone becomes an independent individual, who, in the infinite mass of individuals, also

the Pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood worried about the safety of his motherland after Napoleon took power in France, he created the painting work Our English Coasts ( Strayed Sheep) to satirize The work made a stir when it was displayed to the public.

artist” only changed in material to apply a real lamb as the visual carrier, while its “form” still

inquiry and renovation towards the essence. An artist can only be outstanding if he is able to


modern era, which is revealed by Wurigen to evoke contemplation of the audience. If you read discerned on Eve as well, as when she was seduced by the Snake to eat the Fruit of Wisdom, it was her egoism that drove her to make the decision alone, rather than to discuss it with Adam,

forward a thought-provoking topic, which is not a mere abstract concept but direct and concrete, and boasts a clear position in the dimension of time. Recently I read a few foreign articles on the shift of modern art from natural vision to cultural vision, or to put it simple, from “see by eyes” to “see by brain”. Art creation turns from a traditional game of hands to a game of brains, and the cultural accumulation of artists becomes more important than their practical skills. Do our art creators and consumers gain or lose within such a shift? It is yet another “crossroad” waiting for us. The dual structure of a crossroad accompanies every man on earth in every moment. Like

mysterious and profound culture codes. For instance, some works will inspire you to think how

I hand over this draft rashly or ponder over it for a careful revise? It reminds me of a saying by



Crossroad

resin sheep rib


A sheep is portrayed wandering into a “crossroad”, representing the schizophrenia of artist formally presents the “rib of life”.


The Production of Love

resin and Stainless steel




Danish philosopher Kierkegaard “ love can save ones momentary


pursuit of turning the world into a sheep becomes a customer of be realized in the sky.



resin, sheep skeleton and furwrappers


has always been a reflection of society has abandoned this definition by replacing it withits own hubris, leaing the fate of any omnipotent beings to be stripped bare by the world‌


The Encounter with Christ

resin, acrylic and stoving varnish stainless steel

Passion of Christ�, where Mary the daughter of earth peacefully holds her

savior of our future or the killer of our humanity?



stoving varnish stainless steel, TV monitor and wood


Can we sense the inversion of the body Century? Furthermore, does the solution to the feminine?




The Sticking, Unsticking, and Limitation in Wurigen’s Works

spread to Polar Regions and any cross-shaped things are possible to be understood as the symbol of Christianity. To use cross-shaped patterns in art works is nothing short of wire-walking.

is in accord with Zeitgeist. And their works can transcend religions while use religious image and win themselves places. In brief, artists should get hold of the subtle shift between sticking and unsticking. Certainly, to stick cross-shaped patterns onto art works is the most economical way to endue a mediocre thing with spiritual qualities. What the temptation of thought economy leads theme, though their contents are different, they all failed to spring out the fence of the New Testament. On condition that one reinterpretates cross and makes a voice under the domination of traditional symbol, his works will undoubtedly supply a gap in art history and became a treasure in the history of knowledge.

in an interview with Der Spiegel. Why did this master of philosophy lay his hope of saving the

background, sublimes the debut of the image. An ordinary behavior becomes the focus of the picture. Even though spectator without artistic accomplishment can feel the tragic sublimation


boundless illumination and enhances the directivity of the theme by using thought economy. Viewers see that human spirit which was in a state of disunity now is turning inward and gaining

with a kind of religious logos safely. To present the contemporaneity of this work, the artist

widely which should be shrouded. It seems that the place where the sound of world is made has been changed.

and production identicalized by the artist. common phenomenon in our modern society which confused lust and spirit. The artist restricted the image of head to the shell of media, and then he found the root of human spirit crisis. A

do not pursue genuine knowledge; instead they get into second hand media and gat into second hand media to gain bookphrase and wander around.


Man of the Century

steel, glass, LED



The confident Man of the Century is standing between “wilderness� and the gallery. The image takes the body of glass wall without facial features and skin color, the work blocks any modern people convey to us.



Tool of World

stainless steel



International Stage

stoving varnish stainless steel


Although they have different color, but it can shake hands forward in the international market.Weird is the murder weapon they are hiding behind. The weapons seem to be a friendly tool to sort out each incompatible.





Seeking the Image of Modern People: On Wurigen’s Man of Century

cut image of man amid the bewildering thicket of Modern art. ”

modern man is very necessary. The artist Wurigen transfers the essentials of architecture onto

any facial features represents the simplification of modern people. These indistinguishable individuals multiply and throng as a result of the overlap of two abstract ideas. One comes of science, the cause-andeffect thinking model is the main way by which you understand the

the foundation of our world while the power of economics compels people to transform reasons effects, gains and loses. Due to such a “pure” ideology, this linear way of thought has become the basic feature of modern civilization, and continues to be strengthened further every day. From the very moment when mankind shed their fur and lost their sharp teeth, they

feature within human history. And modern people have taken this to the limit; namely, your value lies not in what you are, but in what you own. Due to the psychological perspective “possession is dominance”, appearance seems to be

built during the bubble economy were foppish and soulless. People blindly admired foreign he is foreign”. On the orders of the owners, buildings became call girls with heavy makeup et al. vanity. Focusing primarily on appearance and sensory stimuli creates a hierarchy that elevates materiality as superior to any other thing. To understand the world only through ones senses, man will consider height and volume as the most important standard. The Italian architect Mario Salvadori mentioned that in Tuscany residents proudly showed

the Asian economic crisis. The word “skyscraper” began to cool down, even disappearing within that human beings have stopped their pursuit of “scraping the sky”.


together with the faith and belief of human beings. we can understand modern people better. Feuerbach said the most profound secret always lies

of water, electricity and power inside buildings is so common for modern people that those of taking everything for granted, thus forming an ideology of “everything is deserved”. Daniel Bell pointed out that with the growth of economy and the improvement of living standards;

human beings have fallen into a black hole, namely, every human invention causing a series

to the public. The modern world can be compacted into a credit card which magically gives you what you want but simultaneously conceals the fact that you are selling your future. Modern buildings

our future to gain temporary pleasure and comfort. The apotheosis of every building unit leads to the loss of neighborhood culture. In the past, Chinese people shared a faucet with their neighbors. Like a symbol of organization, a faucet give chances for people to meet each other; during the process of getting water, people

some out for me to wash my hands, I read the passion contained in the water and it became

consciousness unceasingly, while cutting down the communal aspect of buildings without feeling a bit of weariness. Though it serves as shelter for people, a modern building tends to isolate and return. earth” as their advertising slogan, while erasing its premise -“Full of merit”. Every time I read this poem, it reminds me of my childhood memory of a girl who collected cinders after school

moved by her plight. Sometimes, we stole coal cinders from home and gave them to her, telling


became connected together by coal cinders that illustrates a poetic quality. According to Adam Smith humans have a natural tendency to care about the well-being of others for no other human biological characteristic and it shows that humans have a tendency to fraternize. Based on this, humans can love, cooperate and understand each other. If we demolish the impulse of human cooperation has given us a hint of the disappearance of human sympathy. The practice

development of science, the isolating feature of architecture will be enhanced further. One day,

human beings have become mechanized and integrated as a part of the machine. Every step forward of progress is a step backward for humanity, until buildings will devour humanistic

humankind. With the development of genetic engineering, maybe one day man can break through the limitations of species and unite the advantages of all kinds of species, like the resistance to cold of polar bears and the hardiness of desert plants. And then will human beings be a creation of nature or something engineered, like architecture? According to Frans De

childbirth. This possibility gives future generations increasing chances to give birth, leading to

When I was a boy, I loved looking up at the starry sky. Sometimes I could pick out the Milky life from a brand new angle. Under the vast starry sky my spirit became so magnanimous that

Time flies, telescopes can be bought easily. But light pollution and high buildings make us lose connection with the stars. The sight of life is narrow for the earthbound. Fortunately, one of my friends has a house located in a rural area and he invites us to appreciate starry nights. Recently, in front of his house a large building was erected and we lost connection with the stars


Migrating

stainless steel



Floating Shell

stainless steel



Floating Boat

stainless steel




Wurigen’s Works Mr Wu Rigen Is cutting edge and breaking new ground in the way we understand and look alone each one uniqu .With his last grouping of work questions of spirituality, morality,self determination and greed really stand out to me.

religious wars ,economics and politics push people to want and have more .It is the destructive with each other.

the sins of the word� . It is kind of amusing really if we repent god will forgive us .Does this make

guilt.

steel tree shoots up out of the middle . The cradle could be the roots of the tree but it makes me think of dreams ,spirits and all the possibilities we could choose as our life .In another way it me guessing.

raised and tree trunk is connected to his back bone. Is the horse the workforce that most of us spend our lives doing, earning and building. Die we leave something behind or have we caged ourselves in. A trapped society or world and our spirits roam free unconscious of our mortality.

living on faith and soul not controlled by religion.

dominance and control. The strength and power of nations can manipulate and replace in their desire for more. Baa baa black sheep have you any wool yes sir yes sir. This bronze piece looks

In conclusion I think Mr Wu Rigen is asking all the right questions but are we listening. We governments, economics and greed control our soul being as human beings. A little faith, love and creative care would make our would a happier place. Thank you Mr Wu Rigen I can hear you.


Migrating

stainless steel



Borrowed Puppet

Stainless Steel


Stainless steel

City


Dusk of Dream

Stainless steel Rock


Stainless steel

Tree of World


Brigade



Crossroad

resin sheep rib

The Production of Love

resin and steel

resin, sheep skeleton and fur


acrylic, stoving varnish stainless steel and resin

The Encounter with Christ

stoving varnish stainless steel, TV monitor and wood

steel, glass, LED

Man of the Century

stainless steel

Tool of World


Migrating

stainless steel

Migrating

stainless steel

Floating Shell

stainless steel

Floating Boat

stainless steel


stainless steel

International Stage

stoving varnish stainless steel

stainless steel Rock

Tree of World

Dusk of Dream

Stainless steel

Stainless steel

Brigade

City

Borrowed Puppet


Wu Rigen

b.1965, Inner Mongolia, China

Exhibition:


Man of the Century stands silently in the twilight. It is as the Greek philosopher said: "where the world begins, there it ends. "


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