Huang Yong Ping
Huang Yong Ping
April 28 — June 9, 2018
New York: 21st Street
Gladstone is pleased to present an exhibition by Huang Yong Ping, the artist’s fifth exhibition with the gallery. This show presents Bank of Sand, Sand of Bank, an important historical work by Huang for the first time in New York since its creation nearly two decades ago.
Bank of Sand, Sand of Bank derives its structure from the former HSBC Bank in Shanghai, built in 1923 by the British architecture firm Palmer & Turner. During the Chinese Revolution of 1949, this Neoclassical landmark was transformed into the Communist Municipal People’s Government Building, and later became the headquarters for the Pudong Development Bank in the 1990s. Huang’s 20-ton replica of this edifice, comprised of sand and concrete, contemplates the troubling history this building has lived through while questioning the power of ruling institutions. Through the use of unstable materials, this building, which is meant to stand for security and power, is transformed into a vulnerable and forgotten ruin that appears as though it could collapse at a moment’s notice. The work’s fragility and temporality visualizes the turbulent past and exchanges of power this monument has witnessed over time, while also providing a deeper narrative surrounding the longevity and effectiveness of governing bodies throughout history.

展览现场