Gigi Janchang: The Cube

Co-curated with Michael Zheng. San Francisco Arts Commission Galleries: Grove St. Window Installation Site. February - April 2009

The “Cube” sits in the center of the large installation space. Inside the Cube’s 12’ x 8’ x 8’ structure is a common living room with an entrance door, two windows, a sofa, a bookcase, a desk and several chairs. The negative space between the furniture is occupied by tightly compressed wire cloth, which also defines the walls, floor and ceiling of the room. Finally, the entire room is upside down; the furniture held tightly in place by the wire cloth.

During this difficult economic time most of us will have to make the impossible possible by persevering through individual and global challenges. Janchang is concerned with how people will respond to a situation that will turn lives upside down and create great stress and tension in the world. She says, “When a crisis happens, the world looks as if it is upside down. We feel that everything is reversed. It is a shock. How will we cope? Are we searching for new perspectives and new directions? Or, will we be craving for things to return to its original state?”

Janchang, who is Chinese, also reflects on Chinese Taoism Philosophy. “The Yin and Yang form Taiji, which is the state of “One,” when two opposites are tightly joined. the “Cube” explores the tension between and the coming together of: positive space vs. negative space; solid vs. perforated; heavy vs. light; up vs. down…”