Yuqi Wang: The Fluidity of Time and the Reconstruction of Identity

" Everything that is going to happen should happen ; everything that should happen is going to happen. "
--Yuqi Wang

The Sims, Black and White Photography by Yuqi Wang, 2021

Yuqi Wang (b.2000) works in many directions as a multimedia artist, filmmaker, and performer. In the diverse expressions of contemporary art, Yuqi Wang uses her unique perspective and cross-media artistic practice to lead audiences into a realm filled with philosophical contemplation and psychological exploration. Her work deconstructs traditional grand narratives, questions fixed identities, and challenges authoritative discourses through various media combined artistic forms. These forms critique changes in human experience in modern society, reflecting transformations in self-identity and social interaction under the influence of technological culture.

The Sims, The Whims of Bordeaux
Black and White Photography by Yuqi Wang, 2022

In her early works, Yuqi Wang preferred using black-and-white photography to enhance the effects of light, contrast, and shadow, creating a unique retro atmosphere. This visual technique reduces the distraction of color, allowing the audience to focus more on the deeper meanings and themes conveyed by the image. For example, in the series “Reality and Dreamspace” and “The Sims,” the stark contrasts and shadows emphasize the surreal and dreamlike quality of the scenes, drawing viewers into a contemplative state.

Reality and Dreamspace, A Film by Yuqi Wang
00:03:46, 4K Black and White Video, 2022
Stereo (R L) | 48 kHz

Yuqi Wang’s experimental film “Reality and Dreamspace” was created using a freely flowing stream-of-consciousness approach, with the entire shooting process spanning a year. This improvisational and self-directed method emphasizes the fluidity of time and non-linear narrative. Deleuze, in “Cinema 2,” argues for the depiction of time through false relations, false movements, and irrational cuts, demonstrating how thought merges with the chaos that provokes it. Yuqi Wang’s “Reality and Dreamspace” embodies this theory, where time is no longer bound by narrative logic but centers on the viewer’s perception and emotions, presenting a fluid and transforming sense of time. This approach disrupts the continuity of traditional cinematic time, guiding the audience to experience a more essential, chaotic, and authentic sense of time.

Still Images from the Film “Reality and Dreamspace”

Yuqi Wang’s experimental films, especially “Reality and Dreamspace” (2022), “Aspiration” (2023), and “Weightlessness” (2023), are significantly influenced by Maya Deren. She uses dreamlike images and symbolic elements to explore psychological states in extreme environments. These works blur the boundaries between reality and illusion through repeated dream sequences and fluid visual elements, making the audience’s perception the key to understanding and experiencing the pieces.

In the film “Reality and Dreamspace,” extensive use of displacement and jump-cutting techniques connects indistinguishable real and potential images such as the creature, eye, girl, cup, tea, and ruins. This represents different layers of reality and dreamscape, revealing how these symbols shape and manipulate the subject’s mind. These elements guide the audience to delve into their deeper meanings, challenging their inherent understanding of reality. The work explores the boundaries between self and others, showing how these boundaries are continuously reconstructed and challenged in an individual’s psychological development and cognition.

Still Images from the Film “Reality and Dreamspace”

“Reality and Dreamspace” traverses time and space, with filming locations including the deserts of northwest China, London’s Convent Garden, and the markets of Bordeaux, France. In these locations, Wang interacts with the audience through performance art, exploring the relationship between visibility and illusion. The diverse reactions from audiences - ranging from confusion to enthusiasm - reflect the complex relationship between individuals and their environments in a globalized context.

Home Sweet Home, Multi-media space installations by Yuqi Wang
Grassland, Trees, Reeds, Tent and Others, 2023

In her recent solo exhibition “Eternal Horizon,” Wang combines experimental film and spatial art to create an immersive experience. The exhibition invites viewers to engage with the space and contemplate life, time, and space through interactive elements.

Through “Reality and Dreamspace” and other works, Yuqi Wang has innovated both technically and formally while deeply reflecting on the conditions of modern humanity. Her cross-media artistic practice demonstrates the significance of contemporary art in exploring social and psychological issues, challenging conventional perceptions, and inspiring contemplation of the future. She leads audiences into complex discussions about time, existence, and self-identity, pushing the boundaries of artistic expression and critical thought.