Zürcher Theater Spektakel

The video artist, sculptor and director Wang Jianwei examines the individual and collective effects of the meteoric changes that have taken place in his country. Wang Jianwei is considered to be one of China’s most complex contemporary artists. His works are shown at major international art exhibitions such as the Documenta (1997) and the Venice Biennale (2003) as well as at renowned theatre festivals worldwide. The festival presents his latest video performance «Welcome you to the true desert» as a European premiere. Based on Jacques Lacan’s idea that the real, the symbolic and the imaginary form an inseparable unit, it tells the story of a Chinese nuclear family who move from the countryside to the city. The son succumbs to the new world of internet and computer games to such a degree that he can no longer distinguish between fantasy and reality. (esc)