This series of photographs documents a major public performance by Wang Jin in January 1996. He built an ice wall across from a newly opened department store in Zhenzhou with the help of artists Gou Jinghan and Jiang Bo. He placed consumer goods such as toys and jewellery inside the blocks of ice, provoking the crowd to destroy the wall to retrieve the objects.
Mapping Chinese Art, 1972–2012: Selections for the M+ Sigg Collection. M+, Hong Kong, 2019. sigg.mplus.org.hk
Wang Jin (born 1962, Datong) graduated from the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts in 1987. He was a key artist of the East Village performance art movement, best known for his painting, performance, installation, and sculpture. His work addresses the consequences of rapid social change and the transitory nature of tradition. Wang lives and works in Beijing.