Li Wei Soars Above Ringling Museum

Todays News

Chinese performance artist Li Wei stopped by the Ringling Museum yesterday to perform his latest feats for a new series of photography depicting the artist flying over cultural and historical landmarks across the globe. Whimsical and eye-catching, Wei’s photography projects often depict the artist or his subjects in gravity-defying situations or poses.

Including locations in Venice and Paris, Wei’s shots at the Ca’ d’Zan and Ringling Courtyard mark the U.S. debut of Wei’s latest series.

“This artist uses the medium to create boundary-breaking artwork that combines installation and performance,” said Fan Zhang, Asian Art curator for the Ringling Museum, of the decision to bring Wei to the grounds for his gravity-defying series. “The statement of the artist impressed me and it lets people appreciate the new boundaries of contemporary photography, especially from Asia.”

Using a pair of cranes and steel wire, Wei suspended himself in mid-air in front of the Ca’ d’Zan, grasping the horns of a traditional Chinese dragon’s head, it’s spindly body scaffolding behind, trailing in the wind. Hovering 35-40 feet in the air, the artist posed as if riding the animal across the sky. Pausing to alight on the ground and equip a brace of flares, Wei then rose back into the air for another round of photography, billowing plumes of red smoke from both hands, flanking the dragon’s head.

After a short costume change, swapping everyday clothes for garb resembling a monk’s robes, Wei finished the series suspended 145 feet in the air, floating above the Ca’ d’Zan in clouds of multi-colored smoke.

Later in the day, Wei performed similar feats swapping the Ca’ d’Zan backdrop for Ringling Courtyard, hovering over the Statue of David.

“Freedom is the most important thing for a human being,” said Wei through a translator of the motivation behind his latest series showcasing apparent flight. He expressed joy at performing in front of an audience and including them in the “dialogue” as the art is made, regardless of whether they got the exact same message out of his work. “But if you have a different perception, you must have your feelings and emotions involved.”

Although the finished photographs remove the cranes and wires, leaving Wei apparently flying across the picture, it was an interesting behind-the-scenes look into the process of this working international artist.

“I love to go to historical places – it doesn’t matter if it’s a short history or a long history,” said Wei of the trip to Sarasota. “And when you go up there, the sky is all yours.”

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