Both Sides Now

Both Sides Now - multidisciplinary solo exhibition and performance
July 16 - 21, 2019
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
A window reflection of a neon sign that says Exotic splendor
A yellow neon sign with script text on a pink wall
Exotic splendor (2019)
Plywood, plastic, LED lights
60 x 192 inches
A person sitting in front of a vanity mirror wearing a robe
So "Different" Too (2019)
Performance, 7 minutes
Chinatown Soup, NYC 
A photograph of a glamorous Asian drag performer
Alluring Asiatics (2019)
Digital inkjet
18 x 12 inches
An Asian silk robe with text embroidered that says A WELCOME DEPARTURE
A Welcome Departure (2018)
Embroidery on vintage robe
35 x 50 inches
A reflection in a vanity mirror of a person taking off makeup
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