New breed, 2023
Carbon fiber, 3D printing, automotive electroplated headlight bezel, Daytonaudio daex32ep-4, monitor stand
© Courtesy of the artist
In Greek mythology, Athena's grudge against Troy for the golden apple led her to instruct Odysseus to present the Greeks with the idea of the Trojan Horse. This monumental wooden horse, hiding soldiers inside, was left as a deceptive gift, leading the Trojans to bring it within their walls, unknowingly inviting their own downfall. This myth echoes through Liang Yujue's works in the group exhibition "The Retinue of Dionysus", exploring the conflict of masculinity, the fracture between appearance and essence, and theresidues left after intense confrontation.
Yujue Liang presents two pieces in this exhibition, "New Breed" and "New Breed-Residue", forming a dual narrative on masculinity's dichotomousnature. The sculptures resemble charred skeletons, remnants of bodies after fierce battles, accompanied by surrounding sound effects, portraying a complex coexistence of hardness and sorrow.
New breed, 2023
Carbon fiber, 3D printing, automotive electroplated headlight bezel, Daytonaudio daex32ep-4, monitor stand
(Details)
© Courtesy of the artist
In human society, masculinity appears as a puppet, shaped and manipulated by patriarchy and power, and then perpetuating these forces. Power itself is like the blazing fire of ancient Greek wars, with every citizen residing in a besieged city. Men must endure this fire, a backlash of privilege. When markers of identity, such as attire and physical form, are reduced to ashes, the remaining skeletons erase differences among groups, leaving all equally dignified yet vulnerably exposed.
Through this, Yujue Liang reflects on the value of the body and opens another dimension from an ontological perspective: he integrates car parts into the "skeleton" design, evoking a modernized "man and horse"—a reconstruction of classic masculine traits. This essence, stripped of its physical form, remains deeply embedded, representing an indelible symbol. Masculinity, indeed, is not innate but learned and imparted within social structures. However, once a man matures, even if he critically reflects upon or resists it, the inertia of masculinity seems ingrained, becoming an integral component of the so-called "soul" (the spiritual realm corresponding to the physical body).
New Breed - Residue, 2023
Carbon fiber, 3D printing, automotive electroplated headlight bezel, Daytonaudio daex32ep-4, monitor stand
© Courtesy of the artist
When the Trojan Horse was breached, its aggressive exterior was dismantled; yet its contents were not pure, uncorrupted goodness but rather the pillaging Greeks. The inner and outer elements maintain a performative and fractured relationship. Even if the body is abandoned, not all constraints vanish simultaneously. "New Breed-Residue" offers a pessimistic response, akin to a lizard's tail shed in an escape attempt.
The work resembles the wreckage of a car crash, mimicking the self-amputation of a threatened reptile. Post-body abandonment, the skeleton continues its stubborn resistance, with the violent collision marking the grand finale of the struggle. Despite the clash and partial sacrifice of the self, masculinity remains intricately woven into every remnant, with even the act of resistance celebrated as a masculine fight. At this juncture, the lingering soundscape resembles a dirge, mourning not the catastrophe itself but the helpless pain and confusion that persist despite the battle.
New Breed - Residue, 2023
Carbon fiber, 3D printing, automotive electroplated headlight bezel, Daytonaudio daex32ep-4,monitor stand
(Details)
© Courtesy of the artist
In this exhibition, Yujue Liang's work completes the discourse on masculinity. Amid the evolving social context, confronting contemporary constraints is not about vociferous struggle but about contemplating repair and reconstruction amidst the wreckage of the Trojan Horse, even if the present resembles a valley of despair after a peak of intensity. The path forward remains obscured, but the encompassing soundscape begins to emerge from the depths, colliding and resonating.
Text by Roxane Fu
