History Goes Back to the Future in Artist Kongkee’s Warring States Cyberpunk Exhibit, through July 15

Inspired by the tale of Qu Yuan, a trusted advisor of King Huai of Chu (ruler of one of the Warring States from 328 to 299 BCE), who was wrongly slandered by corrupt ministers and exiled by the King. Despite his banishment, he continued to write and advocate for his ideas before he eventually succumbed to despair and drowned himself in Yangtze River. He is now known as one of China’s greatest poets and figures of patriotism. Each Year, Qu Yuan is celebrated during the Dragon Boat Festival, which commemorates his life and contributions.

While this story is set in the past, what if it were retold from the present perspective in the most creative of ways? What happens when a historical figure from the past is somehow reborn to a mind- bending techno-future?

In this exhibition, Qu Yuan is reborn as an android pop culture icon in a land of techno-drenched dystopia. Through multi-screen videos, wall projections, neon installations, vibrant graphic works, narrative texts, and ancient Chinese objects, visitors will follow Qu Yuan and see how he recovers his soul.

The past allows us to learn from our historical figures. What better way to see these lessons brought to life than in this dazzling, vibrant exhibition. Hurry and check out the Kongkee: Warring States Cyberpunk exhibition, now through July 15, 2023.

Kongkee: Warring States Cyberpunk is organized by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and curated by Abby Chen, Senior Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

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Also on View at Wrightwood 659
Running concurrently with Kongkee: Warring States Cyberpunk are two additional exhibitions: Shahidul Alam: Singed But Not Burnt and Patric McCoy: Take My Picture.

Hours of Operation (Now through to July 15, 2023)
Thursdays 1-8 pm; Fridays 12 noon-7 pm; Saturdays 10 am-5 pm

Tickets
Admission for all three exhibitions [(1) Kongkee: Warring States Cyberpunk; (2) Shahidul Alam: Singed But Not Burnt; (3) Patric McCoy: Take My Picture] is just $15 and available online only at https://tickets.wrightwood659.org/events

Please note, admission is by advance ticket only. No walk-in allowed.

About Wrightwood 659
Founded in 2018, Wrightwood 659 is a private, non-collecting institution devoted to socially engaged art and architecture. Wrightwood 659 was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, who transformed a 1920s residential building with his signature concrete forms and poetic treatment of natural light. Located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood and acclaimed as “a hidden treasure,” Wrightwood 659’s soaring and light-filled galleries offer both intimate and monumental experiences as visitors engage with the pressing issues of our time. Exhibitions are presented by Alphawood Exhibitions at Wrightwood 659. For additional information: https://wrightwood659.org.

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