Collection Online
Search the Collection 搜索M+藏品
0 results
M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation, © Sun Xun
On View
Mediatheque
Sun Xun 孫遜
21 Ke (Grams) 21克
2010
This black-and-white animation begins with a man in a dark suit and a top hat looking through a telescope. A voiceover later describes him as a magician who makes a living by selling lies. The fragmented scenes, which combine neoclassical architecture with flying machines and antique television sets, depict a dystopian world where time seems to have collapsed. The portrayal of skulls, blackbirds, and huge flying insects give the work a surrealistic quality. While the image of Tiananmen Square and a flag with an emblem seems familiar, the settings of cemeteries, open fields, and crowded spaces, along with the haunting soundtrack, create an atmosphere of mystery. The title 21 G references a 1907 study by American physician Duncan MacDougall, who sought to prove that the loss of body weight upon death could be equated to the human soul’s weight—one of MacDougall’s subjects lost twenty-one grams after death. Sun Xun’s dark and enigmatic fable portrays a world that has lost its soul. The artist’s interest in dystopian literature and images from world cinema and Chinese mythology are also prevalent in his other animations, which are meticulously created using ink paintings, woodcuts, and charcoal drawings before being digitally composed.
Loading