Stainless steel by Zhan Wang

266x132x100 cm

Chinese garden rocks, also known as "fantastic rocks" for their unusual shapes, are prized for their aesthetic value as well as their symbolic function in Chinese gardens. Traditional Chinese gardens were conceived as microcosms of the natural universe; the rocks within them were highly stylized representations of mountains designed to evoke sensations of the sublime in the viewer. Zhan Wang forms each "Artificial Rock" sculpture by hammering stainless steel sheets around each rock until they form a second skin, then welding the sheets together to recreate a highly polished version of the original rock that mirrors its environment. "The material's glittering surface, ostentatious glamour, and illusory appearance make it an ideal medium to convey new dreams (of contemporary China)."