WANG Qingsong
Born 1966 Heilongjiang province

Night Revels of Lao Li 2000

This photograph reworks a famous 10th-century (Five Dynasties) scroll painting, The Night Revels of Han Xizai. According to legend, it was made for the emperor, who had ordered a court artist to infiltrate the parties of an official he suspected of conspiracy.

Here the official is portrayed by Li Xianting, a leading art critic known respectfully as 'Old Li', who was removed from his post in the 1980s for supporting experimental art. Wang Qingsong himself acts the part of the artist.

C-type print Collection Joy of Giving Something, Inc.