5 Catty Madonna with Baby #01

作品賞析

Plastic is everywhere – in our hands, our lives, and our foods, and invades our minds and awareness. CHEN Wen-Hsiang chanced upon a divine inspiration in plastic bags. 5 Catty Madonna with Baby #01 depicts unique red-striped plastic bag used in Taiwan to create the religious symbol of the Madonna and Child. The plastic bag is then formally framed to create an artwork display. Despite being ubiquitous and cheap, plastic bags offer an indispensable convenience and sense of realism. CHEN Wen-Hsiang therefore hoped to create miracles and dreams using such mundane objects, the creative process serving as an analogy of longings to win the lottery or witness a divine miracle. By converting the ordinary-looking plastic bag into a divine image, CHEN Wen-Hsiang deconstructs the boundaries separating the vulgar and the holy, reality and supernatural entities.