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M+, Hong Kong, © Wang Wei
Wang Wei 王衛
1/30th of a Second Underwater 水下1／30秒
1999
In this photographic and sound installation, eight colour transparencies depict a person underwater. Contorted faces and hands are pressed against glass, and bubbles appear, as if the person is running out of air and trying desperately to escape. 1/30 of a second underwater was developed for the Post-Sense Sensibility exhibition in Beijing in 1999, which presented experimental works that engaged audiences directly. Each transparency was placed in an illuminated lightbox, set on a platform in a darkened corridor constructed for the piece. The installation’s position near the exhibition’s entrance meant that visitors were forced to walk over the images, stepping directly onto the face of the person struggling to breathe. Sound playing in the corridor gave the impression of voices emerging from underwater. The narrow corridor and the enlarged faces heightened the sense of claustrophobia and unease. The work reflects Wang Wei’s interest in exploring spatial conditions and in our experience of an environment’s unpredictable and violent nature. The title of the work is taken from the camera’s shutter speed, a reference to Wang’s work with photography. The Post-Sense Sensibility exhibition marked Wang’s shift from two-dimensional photography towards interventions that disrupt one’s perception of space and allude to social issues.
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