Both Sides Now - multidisciplinary solo exhibition and performance
July, 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



Exotic splendor (2019)
Plywood, plastic, LED lights
60 x 192 inches

So "Different" Too (2019)
Performance, 7 minutes
Chinatown Soup, NYCÂ

Alluring Asiatics (2019)
Digital inkjet
18 x 12 inches

A Welcome Departure (2018)
Embroidery on vintage robe
35 x 50 inches

Oriental Magic (2019)
Mirror, plexiglass, wood, paint, TV, LED lightsÂ
Video (00:10:00)
31 x 63 x 3 inches
