Haroon Mirza: Tones in the Key of Electricity

哈龙·米尔扎：电之离调

Curated by Victor Wang
策展人：王宗孚
The Sifang Art Museum, Nanjing
四方当代美术馆
June 8, 2019 - December 8, 2019
2019年6月7日－2019年12月8日

The Sifang art Museum and Victor Wang are proud to present the first solo museum exhibition in China by UK-based artist Haroon Mirza.

The exhibition entitled "Tones in the Key of Electricity" is structured as a composition, utilizing the concept of "gòuchéng" (构成) in Chinese. It comprises two distinct aspects. The first aspect aims to unravel the recent ocularcentric shift in Western societies and the privileged position that the visual holds in both cultural analysis and contemporary art. The second aspect employs the framework of "fuzhipin" (复制品 ), a term in Chinese that describes an exact copy of the original that retains a value equal to that of the original, with no negative connotations. This serves as an alternative schema for concepts of the replica and the copy that depart from Euro-American definitions of these terms. The exhibition will occupy the entirety of the museum and will run for a significant duration of six months.

Installation view ‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘ at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

Installation view ‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘ at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

Installation view ‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘ at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

By thinking through ways of hearing as a method of widening the cultural scope and offering another mode of perception for the audience, the exhibition utilizes a structure of 声 (sheng) and tonality, common aspects of languages in East and South-east Asia, the Pacific and Africa, in which a shift in tone does more than simply expressing emotion, as it does in the English language, instead conveying a completely alternative meaning, or even multiple meanings.

Additionally, the exhibition features two major installations that have been adapted, or "fuzhipin," from the practice of Mirza. These installations are integral to the unique melodic pattern and specific tonal elements, such as "dì yī sheng" (第一声 first tone) and "dì èr sheng" (第二声 second tone), of the exhibition. The artworks are layered and build upon one another to form the exhibition's "sound shape," engaging with both the immaterial light and sonic domains of the artworks and the architecture of the Steven Holl-designed museum. Shown in conjunction with other previous works, such as Siren (2012), Too Many Lingzhi (2015) - a collaboration with Gaia Fugazza, and an updated version of Rules of Appropriation (2019), the two pieces, Copy of 9/11-11/9 (2019) and Copy of Pavilion for Optimization (2019), were methodically reconstructed in accordance with the artist's precise specifications, utilizing locally sourced materials and equipment in China.

The framework of tonality, and the experience of both the artworks and the building, become audible in works such as Copy of 9/11-11/9 (2019), that comprises four videos and eight channels of electrical signals that have been physically expanded and placed across the different spaces of the museum. This allows both the audio and the visual elements of the installation to be experienced across the various lower galleries in the museum.

Copy of 9/11-11/9 (2019), Installation view, ‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘, at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

Installation view, 9/11-11/9 (2019), ‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘, at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019, at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

Installation view, 9/11-11/9 (2019),‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘, at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019, at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

Copy of 9/11-11/9 (2019), Installation view, ‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘, at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019Installation view at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

The installation utilizes a series of carefully arranged colored LED lights, through which electrical signals are transmitted, to create an immersive and thought-provoking experience. These signals are also converted into auditory elements that contribute to the overall audio composition of the work. The installation further integrates video footage and subject matter that pertains to the current global political climate, delving into the seismic events that have occurred internationally over the past fifteen years, including the terrorist attacks in New York on September 11th, 2001 and the outcome of the US presidential elections on November 9th, 2016. The video is further contextualized by the incorporation of Icaro healing songs of the Indigenous peoples of South America.

The exhibition features a new iteration of the artist Mirza's Rules of Appropriation series (2019), which delves into the concepts of collaboration and the ramifications of non-collaborative practices. Central to Mirza's artistic practice is a critical examination of the material expansion of cultural capitalism, which places emphasis on individual desire, hierarchy, and forms of forced cooperation. The work addresses the problematic appropriation of contemporary artists' work by the fashion and other industries, and delves into the lack of protection for artists in relation to their artistic identity. The series was developed in response to the unauthorized use of Mirza's artworks by the French fashion house Louis Vuitton, valued at $28.1 billion, for their 2018 window displays, including those in international flagship stores in London, New York, and Shanghai. By incorporating designer bags that were obviously Louis Vuitton imitations, among other objects, into Copy of Rules of Appropriation, the work highlights the fashion industry's double standards in relation to its own use of appropriation in contrast to its strict regulations against knock-offs or imitations.

Rules of Appropriationseries (2019) Installation view, ‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘, at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

Rules of Appropriationseries (2019) Installation view, ‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘, at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

Rules of Appropriationseries (2019) Installation view, ‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘, at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

The work, presented within the context of China, explores the alternative perspectives on concepts such as 仿制品 (fangzhipin) and 复制品 (fuzhipin) in comparison to those held in the West. It sheds light on the realities of outsourcing production to China, which is the origin of nearly 65% of all counterfeits seized globally according to the UN. The work delves into the relationship between culture, global supply chains and other forms of appropriation, and highlights the increasing need for governments and multinationals to re-evaluate their ideas of copyright and to adopt a more comprehensive understanding of open-source initiatives as a fundamental aspect of lateral globalization.

Rules of Appropriationseries (2019) Installation view, ‘Tones in the Key of Electricity‘, at Sifang Museum, Nanjing, 2019

Mirza, has also produced a new series of site-specific "light works" that are specifically designed to complement the architectural design of the Sifang Museum. Mirza regards these works as "wall drawings" and they serve to showcase his ongoing interest in exploring the use of electricity and light in compositions. The works, which are characterized by a type of "anti-form," are created using geometric lines of colored LED strips and cables. These silent works are intended to enhance the spatial environment and the surrounding architecture, highlighting the unique characteristics of the museum's design.