UNIQUE WAY OF REMEMBERING
The controversial ceramic sculptures by artist Shu Yong commemorating the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, has been donated to a museum at the site of the tragedy. Cheng Yuezhu reports.
Adecade after the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, the Flowers of Life sculptures, made from the ashes of twin girls who died in the earthquake, finally lie peacefully at the Memorial Museum of epicenter Yingxiu.
The three ceramic flower sculptures by artist Shu Yong were donated to the museum on Wednesday.
Shu is an internationally renowned Chinese environmentalist who has won Lifetime Achievement Awards at both Florence Biennale 2009 and Expo 2017 Astana.
The Flowers of Life work is an alternative way of continuing and preserving the lives lost in the Wenchuan Earthquake, expressing people’s reverence for life and a collective reminiscence, according to Shu.
Speaking about the sculptures, Wang Na, head of Wenchuan county, says, “Now is the appropriate time (to accept the donation which was deemed controversial earlier).”
Speaking about the mayor’s comments Shu says: “Her answer is interesting. I think ‘appropriate time’ has two layers of meaning. First, the 10th anniversary (of the earthquake) is a milestone. Second, the broad social background has changed.”
When the earthquake struck Sichuan province on May 12, 2008, Shu was preparing for his first overseas solo exhibition, Shu Yong —
Bubbles at Galerie Urs Meile, Switzerland.
But he went to the Jungfrau to pay silent tribute.
“When I looked up I saw a beam of light resembling a pure white flower”, he says, referring to his inspiration for Flowers of Life.
Speaking about the project and the first hurdles he faced, he says: “With such a disaster, where so many people had suddenly died, there is the unavoidable question of how to handle the bodies. So, I thought it was better for them (the remains) to be turned into something everlasting.”
But on arriving at the disaster site, Shu’s artistic ideal was quickly overcome by brutal reality.
“I was overwhelmed by the sight of the wasteland, the pain of the people and the odor of corrupting corpses. I felt pathetic for adding to the pain of the living.”
So, Shu put his plans on hold and started giving the victims material support.
And when distributing food and necessities, he encountered Zhao Deqin, the mother of deceased twins, Qiqi and Jiajia, both of whom liked Shu’s work and dreamed of becoming artists. Seeing this as a sign, Shu proposed the idea of immortaliz- ing the twins through art, and Zhao agreed.
But the production process soon faced multiple obstacles, including the prevalent public misconceptions and verbal abuse for the artist and the parents.
Meanwhile, due to other artists’ unwillingness to cooperate with him, Shu had to learn pottery making from scratch.
Later, blending the ashes with clay, Shu created three ceramic flower sculptures of different sizes.
“It (the works) use an artistic form to commemorate the lost lives”, says Wang.
The shape of the works is based on a variety of flowers, designed to showcase tolerance.
Commenting on the works at the museum, a visitor says: “The stamens growing between the layers of petals look like pairs of skinny arms. It is heartbreaking.”
Shu, who is renowned for his deft utilization of diverse art forms, including painting, photography, installation and performance art, calls the
Flowers of Life works a piece of public art.
“The sculptures will incorporate new meanings with the development and evolution of society. The participation and interaction of the public will make the pieces a more representative artwork with public meaning.”
“The Flowers of Life pieces embody our view of the earthquake and the reconstruction of the earthquake site. The gradual acceptance of the public represents the transformation of society and people’s views of disasters.”
Shu has regularly sparked controversy with his artworks, but he describes himself as “fragile” when it comes to the Flowers of Life pieces because of his fear that the donation might not gain acceptance.
“So, I’m relieved (with the donation). Every previous anniversary of the Earthquake, I would feel sorrowful and helpless, thinking that the work was lying in the corner of my studio.
“It is my mission to fulfill my promise to the twins’ parents and realize its value.”
Shu calls the Flowers of Life sculptures and his latest work, Golden Bridge on Silk Road as his two most important works.
“The latter is 28-metre-long installation artwork based on the Belt and Road Initiative, while the former is my smallest piece of work, but it represents eternity,” he says.
“At the museum I realized that my concern (about the
Flowers of Life pieces) was unnecessary. There could not be a better place for it,” says Shu.
“The cemetery beside the museum is a beautiful lawn. But only when you learn the story behind it do you realize that the beautiful scene does not come easy. Both the site and the Flowers of Life pieces represent rebirth and the profundity of life.”
At the donation event, Shu wants all attendees to smile for the group photos.
“When facing disasters, we should see the national spirit of unity and collaboration. Rather than living in gloom, we must embrace and create a bright future with smiles.”