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Wang Qingsong 王慶松
Iron Man 鐵人
2008
Wang Qingsong’s works are reflections on China’s rapidly changing society, often providing an incisive commentary on the country’s political, social, and cultural issues. Iron Man features the artist performing as an oil-rig worker. The title refers to the legendary working-class hero Wang Jinxi, who devoted his life to developing the Chinese oil industry in the oil capital of Daqing, all-the-while overcoming fatigue, injuries, and difficulties. Wang Jinxi’s story of hard work, widely known as the ‘Iron Man spirit’, is also set in a tradition of socialist values that embrace personal sacrifices as a national undertaking. In the video, Wang impersonates the wounded hero, straightening his head and smiling at the camera despite receiving repeated physical blows to his face. Through this brutal act, Iron Man raises questions about the role of obedience in society.
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