Xuechen Wang’s curatorial approach to Lin Li’s solo exhibition, The Multiplicity of ‘I’,
creates a carefully orchestrated narrative that guides the viewer through themes of
fragmented identity, transformation, and introspection. The solo show is designed as a
surrealist exploration of Lin Li’s dreamlike worldscape, presenting a universe
(de)constructed of everyday objects reinterpreted through a Dadaist lens. Textured
elements drift across flat surfaces, creating a sense of weightlessness and detachment,
floating through tranquil yet otherworldly landscapes. The exhibition’s uncanny yet idyllic
scenes invite the viewer to contemplate the fluid, fragmented nature of identity, offering
a visual narrative that reflects constant transformation and the complexity of selfhood.
The cherry is a symbol of many things in art history: often a symbol of transience,
sensuality, and transformation, but also of innocence and renewal. Its fleeting nature as
a perishable fruit, represents mortality and the impermanence of mundane pleasure,
while its colour and forms evoke themes of desire and the senses. In Li’s work, the cherry
serves as a multifaceted emblem of the shifting, fluid nature of identity, highlighting both
the constant change and transient aspects of the self. Wang’s curation reflects this
continuous evolution of identity, drawing the viewer through a dynamic visual
experience that mirrors the shifting nature of selfhood, particularly in the strategic use of
space between the works and the varying heights at which they are displayed.
The deliberate placement of the works draws attention to how Li’s domestic symbols are
altered through contrasting textures and distortions, highlighting and heightening the
tension between the comforting familiarity of everyday objects – pillows, piercings, fruit –
and their reimagined forms. We are guided through a physical space that has been
made to feel like a living, breathing reflection of the complex interplay between the
familiar and the unsettling. By placing the paintings at varying heights and with
purposeful gaps between them, Wang creates a rhythm within the exhibition
encouraging a physical journey that concisely amplifies the surrealist nature of Li’s work.
This is further reflected in the show’s name The Multiplicity of ‘I’. The title suggests that
identity is not a singular, fixed entity, but a fluid and fragmented construct, while the
quotation marks around “I” emphasize the performative and constructed aspect of
selfhood, questioning the notion of a stable, authentic “I.” Wang’s naming convention
mirrors Deleuze’s concept of multiplicity, where identity and reality are understood as
fluid, diverse, and in constant flux, teased out from the fragmented, ever-evolving nature
of selfhood and subjectivity explored through Lin Li’s work. The spatial fluidity of the
show actively engages the viewer in this process of discovery: we are led through each
of the stages of Deleuze’s conception of becoming through our own physical
engagement with the exhibition’s environment.
Wang’s curation invites the viewer to reconsider their own sense of identity, recognising
that it is not only multifaceted but also constantly shifting, shaped by external influences
and internal transformations. Her choices not only complement the conceptual
underpinnings of Li’s paintings but also elevate them, allowing the exhibition to unfold
as a living, breathing exploration of the self.
Author’s Bio:
Victoria Comstock-Kershaw is a London-based art critic and founder of FETCH London, an acclaimed platform dedicated to thoughtful engagement with contemporary art. Her work spans postmodernist and post-internet art, reinterpreting classical criticism through a modern lens. Known for her sharp insights and innovative perspectives, she bridges historical narratives with today’s artistic developments, contributing to a deeper understanding of art’s evolving cultural relevance.
