A “Fragment”
When Thierry proposed Glitch City as the theme of this exhibition, I was thrilled; If Glitch means a trouble inside human psyche, City must be Thierry’s mind space that is full of diversity.
The imagery of Thierry LIEGEOIS’ works is usually chaotic. His mind is a treasure that stores infinite conditions and possibilities, which automatically enriches his creation process. He expands his thought into a real space, and invites the viewer to interact and immerge into the “world of glitch.”
Thierry LIEGEOIS was born in a small town called Montbéliard in east France, and now lives and works in Lyon. He has been invited throughout the world for exhibitions; meanwhile, he starts to contemplate the relationship between cities and human beings. From Manhattan to Paris, and this time Beijing, it seems that all the big cities are filled with skyscrapers, flashing neon lights and giant screens. Walking through a city like this, we passively accept this dazzle; we spare no time to consider our relationship with our surroundings. The artist Liegeois will create a “scene” in Unicorn’s major exhibition room, in which the visitors can participate. When visitors painstakingly crawl up to this installation, which Thierry jokingly calls “My Temple,” what kind of “surprise” they will encounter? Or, it is a “shock,” a “thrill,” even a “horror” that they’ll have to face? Similarly, doesn’t the society that we live in also challenge us in different levels throughout our lives?
Unicorn Art Space locates in Caochangdi International Art Village in Beijing. All the elements here in early spring: the sun, the smog, the visitors, villagers, workers, art collectors, galleries, studios, markets, cafés, restaurants and the reclamation depot, give all new comers unique impressions. This thought-provoking, ineffable scene inspires the artist. The place is in his eyes and his mind, and he subconsciously absorbs everything. He forgets the stoniness and mercenaries of big cities, the politics and history, and perceives only the aesthetics: a tricycle, a wilted plant, broken pieces of porcelains, fragments of video images etc. When the villagers feel numb and contempt towards such common scenarios, Liegeois in turn stands on the top of the roof, while gently rolls a cigarette, says: “This is luxury.”
I tried to explain Liegeois’ prolific artistic ideas intrigued by his life here now, but what I have murmured were some scattered feelings I collected through these days’ working with him. I enjoy such intermittent mode of language: in the end, we have to repeat the same words, like when an old CD has a glitch. All kinds of different materials have constructed a “city” here, and in these scenes we will read, listen to, touch, and feel the “Glitch City” that Thierry presents to us.
Manman Cheng
Mar. 28, 2016. Beijing
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