I want to play a game
2013
Mixed Media, 200 x 150 x 70 cm
Since the leadership change in China in 2013, many have begun to describe the new leader as a chess player engaged in a strategic game with Western countries' leaders. What if the interplay between these leaders reaches a point where their game becomes unplayable?
I Want to Play a Game emerges as a chess game where Western chess and Chinese chess converge. The pieces are crafted from papier-mâché using daily newspapers. On the surface of this game, the pieces appear to be following their respective traditional rules: Western chess pieces move within the confines of squares, while Chinese chess pieces occupy the intersections or nodes. As they operated under their own rules, they never directly interacted, appearing to have no winners or losers.
Yet, beneath the surface lies an additional layer of complexity. Hidden within mechanical lockers under each player's seat is a secret rule. Discovery of this rule by a participant transforms the game's nature, introducing a new competitive element seen only through the player's perspective. To beholders, this shift can appear puzzling, wondering about the game's true nature.
