Yan Wang Preston's Solo Exhibition 'Three Easier Pieces' Opens at Messums London, Restaging Iconic Artworks
Yan Wang Preston's exhibition titled 'Three Easier Pieces' is currently on display at Messums London, running until 25 May 2024. The show includes reimagined works by Caspar David Friedrich and Édouard Manet, such as 'Wanderer above the Sea of Fog' and 'Olympia', alongside a new interpretation of Zhang Huan's 'To Add a Metre to an Anonymous Mountain, 1995'. Preston's artistic approach combines photography, performance, and audience engagement, addressing themes of identity, landscapes, migration, and environmental issues. Notable projects include 'Mother River' (2017) and 'Forest' (2010-2017), which earned her First Prize at the Sony World Photography Awards in 2019. The exhibition highlights appropriation and cross-cultural exploration, with Preston aiming to delve deeper into the human body while inviting viewer interaction.
Key facts
- Yan Wang Preston's solo exhibition 'Three Easier Pieces' runs until 25 May 2024 at Messums London.
- The exhibition restages works by Caspar David Friedrich, Édouard Manet, and Zhang Huan.
- Preston's project 'Forest' (2010-2017) won First Prize in the Professional Landscape Category at the Sony World Photography Awards in 2019.
- Her practice incorporates photography, performance, and participatory elements, with a focus on identity and environment.
- Preston originally trained as a doctor and uses artistic processes inspired by medicine.
- Each piece in 'Three Easier Pieces' takes about a year to make, involving extensive research and investment.
- The title references Marina Abramovic's 'Seven Easy Pieces' (2005), highlighting appropriation in art.
- For 'After 'To Add a Metre to an Anonymous Mountain, 1995'' (2021), she collaborated with ten diverse participants in West Yorkshire.
Entities
Artists
- Yan Wang Preston
- Caspar David Friedrich
- Édouard Manet
- Zhang Huan
- Marina Abramovic
- Chloe Elliott
Institutions
- Messums London
- Sony World Photography Awards
- Aesthetica Magazine
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Chongqing
- China
- West Yorkshire
- Italy