Huang Yong Ping. Bâton Serpent

Construction Site

The exhibition starts in the square with Construction Site (2007), a work caught in a state of suspension in the form of a large minaret, the tower generally found by mosques, from which themuezzin (mu’adhdhin) calls to prayer the faithful of Allah five times a day.

A fabric barrier prevents viewers from seeing the minaret, conjuring the restoration work under way on the dome of Hagia Sophia (1997-2002), in a reflection on the accessibility of holy sites. The minaret, on the other hand, conveys a dual concept: it reflects on the topic of religion as the only mean to attain the highest realms of heaven, but it is also a satire against some Western preconceptions about the supposedly threatening nature of Islam.

Bâton de Serpent

Bâton de Serpent (2014) – who inspired the title of the exhbition – With its long vertebrae and silvery ribs, the snake stretches out sinuously from the ceiling to the floor of Gallery 3, metaphorically linking the sky to the earth.

This snkae, about forty metres in length, had been a key figure in Chinese mythology since ancient times: traditionally associated with water, knowledge and wisdom, it is sometimes also a symbol of fear, creation, desire, deception or good luck.

Religious references also appear in La chaise à prière (2010) an upturned chair that bears a biblical story – a passage from the Book of Job – and Camel (2012), a stuffed camel that, on its flank, bears a passage from the Gospel of Matthew while 95 bras de Guanyin(1997-2014), a Duchamp-like bottle rack on which as many human arms are stuck, holding various kinds of objects, makes clear reference to the demand for debate and exchange between different cultures and religions.

Ehi Ehi Sina Sina (2006)

Ehi Ehi Sina Sina (2006), in the form of a large Tibetan prayer wheel (chokor), combines intimate spiritual recollection with the violence of the religious wars that ravage the world. When the cylinder rotates, it suggests the sound of prayers going up to heaven and spreading out in all directions.

It embodies the principle of non-violence, which is inherent in Buddhist spirituality, but it also suggests imminent danger: the trunk that supports the wheel is an image of a “mao”, a Chinese weapon, the lid resembles a shield, and the powerful movement of the wheel conjures up the idea of an ominous dialogue between religion and politics.

Chefs

In Gallery 3 the visitor is invited to a reflect on the forces that guide humanity: Chefs (2012) is an installation that consists of the heads of pack-leading animals, focusing on the issue of who and what control really is.

Living together means to respect rules based on a hierarchy and a division of labour, focusing on who and what dominance really is. It encourages us to reassess our understanding of our relationships both with others and with the world around us.

The exhibition continues with Bugarach (2012): the work, that reflects on cultural and political power systems, is in the form of a miniature mountain – that of Bugarach in France, a key venue for esoteric tourism. In 2012 it was considered to be the only place where it would be possible to escape the apocalypse foreseen by the Mayan people.

Lamb Plant

The destiny of a world is based on eternal contradictions and conflicts, isn’t it?

Lamb Plant (2012) is the plant-animal chosen by the artist to address the issue of biopolitics, in order to explore the practices adopted by the powers that be to discipline the body and regulate populations.

The exhibition closes with a compendium work La Carte du Monde (2000-2001), in the form of a travel guide for the future of mankind.