Exhibition Date: October 21- November 20, 2023
Opening: October 21, 16:00-18:00
Wine Party: October 21, 19:30-21:00
Address: 106 ( Hall A ),107 ( Hall B ), 359 Jiuting Yinxi Rd, Shanghai
Artists: Yiyi & Wenguan
HABU LONGDONG · MAHA is a made-up name by the two artists, which can bedivided into HĀBÙ LÓNGDŌNG and MAHĀ.HĀBÙ LÓNGDŌNG is more like a Chinese dialectal tone, which has no exactmeaning, somehow referring to “be” and “being” in philosophical sense, or theineffable essence of “life-path” and “inner-self”. Afterall, to explain this word isalready contradictory to the artists’ intention, as the whole point is the inexplicability.MAHĀ is a transliteration of a Sanskrit word used in Buddhism context. In layman’sterms, it can be understood as “the great wisdom”, which may be interpreted assuccess in modern days, but it is rather referring to the “spiritual enlightenment” or“satori” in social-life circumstances ---- the “letting go” when tangling with social-lifeaffairs or the “letting go” of “blood and flesh”.
The exhibition contains two parts: Space-A and B. A 12-meter-long reclining figure of buddha, with two young disciples aside in Space-A(400m2); a dozen candelabrums and other ritual vessels, with rather abstract sculptures aside in Space-B(600m2).
The sculptures are mainly made of a Chinese traditional technique ---- colored figure of buddha on paper-base (a status of paper before it is created). The paper-base was ripped apart and re-formed by modern mixing techniques to achieve certain gestures.Thus, the sculptures are effectively enhanced by the complicated making process and allowed to be displayed outdoor or in different circumstances.
The intentions of the artworks are originally emerged from two piece of allegories from Chinese Classic ZhuangZi ---- Shadow’s shadow Asking Shadow and ZhuangZi Dreaming of Butterfly.
The exhibition contains two parts: Space-A and B. A 12-meter-long reclining figure of buddha, with two young disciples aside in Space-A(400m2); a dozen candelabrums and other ritual vessels, with rather abstract sculptures aside in Space-B(600m2).
The sculptures are mainly made of a Chinese traditional technique ---- colored figure of buddha on paper-base (a status of paper before it is created). The paper-base was ripped apart and re-formed by modern mixing techniques to achieve certain gestures.Thus, the sculptures are effectively enhanced by the complicated making process and allowed to be displayed outdoor or in different circumstances.
The intentions of the artworks are originally emerged from two piece of allegories from Chinese Classic ZhuangZi ---- Shadow’s shadow Asking Shadow and ZhuangZi Dreaming of Butterfly.
Shadow’s shadow Asking Shadow:
Shadow’s shadow asked Shadow: “When the man walk, you walk; when the man sit, you sit. Don’t you have your independence?”
Shadow replied: “I do depend on the man, while doesn’t the man also depend on something else?
Even if I became a snake with abdominal, or a cicada with wings, do I have my independence then? Or I still depend on them?”
If the independence comes from the eliminating all the circumstances and context, is there still independence left?Where is the independence indeed?Where is freedom indeed?Where is “self” indeed?Well, let’s say “HĀBÙ LÓNGDŌNG!!!?”.ZhuangZi Dreaming of Butterfly: Once I dreamt about that I became a butterfly, a real one. It’s such a pleasing experience, letting me forget who I am. I woke up abruptly, and realized who I am dazedly. However, was it I dreamt of being a bufferfly? Or the bufferfly is dreaming of being me right now? Butterfly and I are distinctive, while somehow, we convert to each other.Butterfly and Zhuang are distinctive, so as today and tomorrow, day and night, asleep and awakened, obsessive and enlightened, life and death.Shadow replied: “I do depend on the man, while doesn’t the man also depend on something else?
Even if I became a snake with abdominal, or a cicada with wings, do I have my independence then? Or I still depend on them?”
But are they so distinctive?Where is the line between them?Is there a line between them?Are they the same?All of these are questions about subject and object.Are they dependent to each other?Are they independent to each other?Can they convert to each other?Who is “the man”?Am I “the man”?Everything is already said, already give, already there. We use art to inherit, to inherit“the truth”, “the us”. There comes the HABU LONGDONG · MAHA!!!!