GORDON CHEUNG
2023
Financial Times newspaper, wood glue, and polystyrene on thermoplastic polymer
88 x 52 x 30 cm
34 1/2 x 20 1/2 x 12 in
 
The sculptures are created from Financial Times newspapers which draw inspiration from traditional Chinese ‘scholar’s rocks’ or ‘spirit stones’. Embodying microcosms of landscapes they are meditative focal points between nature and civilisation, the sculptures reflect on a world formed by datascapes shaped by the light speed movements of capital that creates both utopias and dystopias.
 
The Legend of the Ten Suns is an ancient Chinese myth where ten suns, the sons of the sky deity Di Jun, initially took turns rising and setting. However, one day they all appeared in the sky simultaneously, causing catastrophic heat and devastation on Earth. To save humanity, the legendary archer Hou Yi was summoned by Emperor Yao. Hou Yi shot down nine of the ten suns with his arrows, leaving only one to provide light and warmth, thereby restoring balance and saving the world from destruction. This myth highlights themes of heroism and the harmony between nature and civilization.

The sculpture is of a scholar's rock on a cloud base suggestive of mountains above the clouds. Scholar's rocks, also known as "gongshi" in Chinese, are naturally occurring or specially shaped rocks that have been appreciated and collected by Chinese scholars since ancient times. These rocks serve as meditative focal points, symbolizing the harmony between humans and nature; bridges between nature and civilization. The scholar rock sculpture here is made of financial newspaper to reflect on a world formed by datascapes shaped by the light speed movements of capital that creates both utopias and dystopias.