Nari Ward and Robin Rhode are wall-to-wall at Lehmann Maupin Hong Kong
For their first dual exhibition, two very distinctive artists explore the symbolic and communal potential of ‘the wall’
![Robin Rhode & Nari Ward: 'Power Wall', Installation view, Lehmann Maupin, Hong Kong, 2020.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZKqMgcbPZsXHYr2xH58v8K-415-80.jpg)
The works of Nari Ward and Robin Rhode combine themes of social injustice and unity. In ‘Power Wall’, a dual exhibition at Lehmann Maupin Hong Kong, the artists have joined forces for the first time to offer a unique perspective on the complex global socio-political landscape and the dichotomy of power.
Throughout the space, installations are intertwined, creating a feeling of collectiveness: in between Robin Rhode’s narrative photographic works, Nari Ward’s Shoelaces series – in which a web of often-vibrantly coloured shoelaces appear to protrude directly from the gallery walls – reveals a web of evocative sentences and symbols. ‘I try to use the quotidian materials to stimulate an immediate dialogue with the viewer’, says the Jamaica-born, New York-based artist, emphasising the importance of creating a familiar, unified environment for his audience. Inciting a spirit of community seems to be the core of his creative mission: one piece depicts a clenched fist, a universal symbol of solidarity.
Nari Ward, Sole Revel, 2020, Shoelaces.
Ward’s engagement with walls is both political and metaphorical, reflecting a need for constant reconsideration of their purpose. ‘Projected onto the idea of a wall are two notions, that of function (i.e. support) and also of division (i.e. control)’, he says. ‘The dialogue I’m interested in examining exists between these two notions, as well as between the simultaneously indomitable yet vulnerable human spirit.’
Nari Ward, Power Wall - Power People, 2019, Shoelaces.
For Rhode, the wall represents a channel for both individual expression and broader socio-political concerns. In this show, the South African artist unveils a series of evocative installations that combine performance and photography. In S, Rhode’s protagonist performs in front of a paperclip mural applied onto an urban façade. As the series evolves, the letter ‘S’ – a reference to the infinity symbol – begins to emerge. These performative, repetitive works are less about what the artist leaves behind in the urban environment, and more about developing a fictional storyboard – inspired in part by early methods of motion photography.
Robin Rhode, S, 2014 (detail), C-print.
Rhode’s engagement with walls as a medium was spurred on by a desire to disperse his ideas more widely: ‘The question I asked myself was “how could my art reach a broader public away from the confines of the white cube exhibition space”?’ For him, the concept of walls extends to confronting ‘the ephemerality of art, the public accessibility to art, but also to the art-making process when considering ideas of scale and socio-political engagement.’
Both artists hold highly distinctive practices, yet Nari Ward and Robin Rhode share a similar goal: identifying the wall to anchor a sense of strength, solidarity and communication in a divided society.
INFORMATION
'Robin Rhode & Nari Ward: Power Wall', until May 16, Lehmann Maupin, Hong Kong. lehmannmaupin.com
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Lehmann Maupin
407, Pedder Building
12 Pedder Street, Central
Hong Kong
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Alexander May, founder of LA studio Sized, on the joys of creative polymathy
Creative director Alexander May tells us of the multidisciplinary approach that drives his LA studio Sized and its offspring, a 5,000 sq ft event space and an exhibition series
By Hannah Silver Published
-
50 of America’s top creatives, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh
Photographed exclusively for Wallpaper* by Inez & Vinoodh, we present a portfolio of 50 creatives driving the current discourse on American culture and its dynamic evolution
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Nona Faustine confronts the past in New York
Artist Nona Faustine reframes New York's colonial past in an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum
By Hannah Silver Published
-
How the west won: Ivan McClellan is amplifying the intrepid beauty of Black cowboy culture
In his new book, 'Eight Seconds: Black Cowboy Culture', Ivan McClellan draws us into the world of Black rodeo. Wallpaper* meets the photographer ahead of his Juneteenth Rodeo
By Tracy Kawalik Published
-
Casa Bosques’ queer-themed book curation comes to New York’s East Village
In Pride Month 2024, Casa Bosques’ pop-up bookstore in The Standard hotel, East Village, offers a stylish haven for literary mavens
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Calling NYC grads! Sarabande Foundation invites you to an industry masterclass to pave way into the creative world
‘What Now?’ by Sarabande Foundation is a post-college guide to support graduates in making their next steps, with advice from the likes of Burberry, Thom Browne, and more
By Tianna Williams Published
-
An avant-garde Korean art movement resurfaces in LA
LA's Hammer Museum gets its teeth into avant-garde Korean art with ‘Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s–1970s’
By Anne Soward Published
-
The New York art exhibitions to see in July
Read our pick of the best New York art exhibitions to see in July, from Jenny Holzer’s ‘Light Line’ at The Guggenheim to ‘Cosmography: an exploration of space and humanity’ at Templon
By Hannah Silver Last updated