Both Sides Now - multidisciplinary solo exhibition and performance
July 16 - 21, 2019
Chinatown Soup, New York, NY
Chinatown Soup, New York, NY
The central theme of Both Sides Now is, as W.E.B. Du Bois coined, the idea of double consciousness: the sensation of divided, irreconcilable identities. Wang draws upon research of Chinese American immigration, self- Orientalism, and commercialization of Chinese culture. A combination of video, sculpture, and found-object pieces emulate a backstage dressing room as the backdrop for opening and closing performances of de-dragging: a voyeuristic experience of an intimate moment after a public spectacle. Throughout the installation, objects branded with advertisement copy impose an exoticized imagination of the Orient. Both Sides Now is loosely inspired by a historic nightclub called the Forbidden City, which exclusively featured Asian American performers during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s
Photos by Magela Crosignani
![Woman carrying bags of bottles past a city gallery storefront](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf2.myportfolio.com/b4b5bc69de853697fc0e1355fd837883/3e4fcd79-a5d7-4c92-8cac-0c912dbb85a7_rw_1920.jpg?h=2a333524ed6db0417dccd0bb294607c1)
![A window reflection of a neon sign that says Exotic splendor](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf2.myportfolio.com/b4b5bc69de853697fc0e1355fd837883/dafe2442-9ec4-4dba-8deb-da8836f92749_rw_1920.jpg?h=88fbb9c86209659fa49c1be533472fb1)
![A yellow neon sign with script text on a pink wall](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/b4b5bc69de853697fc0e1355fd837883/0315e56d-f1d2-44d7-98c2-be03d88a3562_rw_1920.jpg?h=00c9c19c82976ee9a781edf3906841b9)
Exotic splendor (2019)
Plywood, plastic, LED lights
60 x 192 inches
![A person sitting in front of a vanity mirror wearing a robe](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/b4b5bc69de853697fc0e1355fd837883/a45c7791-26a5-43b2-869d-4707eb43ca5a_rw_1920.jpg?h=a1f552baad0afdfad3973aa151dd7d87)
So "Different" Too (2019)
Performance, 7 minutes
Chinatown Soup, NYC
![A photograph of a glamorous Asian drag performer](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf3.myportfolio.com/b4b5bc69de853697fc0e1355fd837883/e0e4ee61-1f6d-4fdb-8bdb-ca73afb0bd9b_rw_1920.jpg?h=1158a139b026d3f5f70bb99642b0feb5)
Alluring Asiatics (2019)
Digital inkjet
18 x 12 inches
![An Asian silk robe with text embroidered that says A WELCOME DEPARTURE](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf2.myportfolio.com/b4b5bc69de853697fc0e1355fd837883/d7ec939b-086e-4560-9db5-10d8adbcee6d_rw_1920.jpg?h=58e85d0c5a01b4e13d2dcfa370df4ba5)
A Welcome Departure (2018)
Embroidery on vintage robe
35 x 50 inches
![A reflection in a vanity mirror of a person taking off makeup](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf3.myportfolio.com/b4b5bc69de853697fc0e1355fd837883/4c4838af-e738-4ce0-b3b2-690b1d6b9791_rw_1920.jpg?h=8eb5bc83e8394f1c77f278499ee865de)
Oriental Magic (2019)
Mirror, plexiglass, wood, paint, TV, LED lights
Video (00:10:00)
31 x 63 x 3 inches
![A reflection of a person and a neon sign in a vanity mirror](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/b4b5bc69de853697fc0e1355fd837883/0fdcf2d6-d31b-4aec-ab99-7e59cb5759f4_rw_1920.jpg?h=b01085f2dcd09a39715e42139e2ed34f)