ALIVE AND KICKING
Libido refers to a person’s primitive and intuitive biological urges contained in what Freud called the id. Some of the subconscious desires unfulfilled during one’s childhood are compensated through games or other methods as a means of consolation. While a person’s desire intensifies as one grows older, the need to fit in, to meet the expectations of the society, and to conform to ethics and religion often suppress the opportunity to act on one’s desires. Artists, through their self-exploration, highlight libido in a way which forces viewers to look within themselves for introspection, while sublimating their desires to a whole new level. Chinese contemporary artist Zhou Chunya gives a truthful portrayal of the libido of grown men through the pompousness, clumsiness, and growling faces of the “green dog”, manifesting the restraint as well as the liberation of the libido. Spanish designer Jaime Hayon, on the other hand, thinks outside the box with his bold style and unique works. His freewheeling dream-like, yet realistic style paints the true face of one’s libido as a child.
Two figures from different disciplines join hands to launch ALIVE AND KICKING, with dozens of pieces portraying different faces and motions of the green dog while a display case showcases ingenious lines and contours. This cooperation reveals the maturity of both artists as well as their optimism towards reality. ALIVE AND KICKING explores the changes of the libido as one grows older emotionally, transforms, and evolves. It surpasses previous artworks by transcending personal experiences and specific contexts to portray a general phenomenon every one of us goes through. With concepts of modern design incorporated and reinterpreted, ALIVE AND KICKING forces viewers to open up and reflect upon artworks with a genuine and honest attitude.