AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

Gu Dexin, a radical pioneer of contemporary Chinese art, retired from the art world after his last solo exhibition in 2009. He is recognized for his large-scale installations that explore decay, transformation, and impermanence. Using perishable materials such as raw animal flesh and adipose tissues, pig brains, fresh flowers, fruit, and plastics, his works evoke strong sensory experiences, characterized by intense odors and continual material degradation.

This contribution presents a two-year conservation project focused on 2000-04-11, an installation created by Gu for the controversial Fuck Off exhibition held in Shanghai in 2000, featuring works by 48 avant-garde artists. The work entered the M+ collection in 2013 without any historical documentation. It consists of a chair filled with visceral pork fat displayed on a vermillion-colored carpet runner, with a framed vermillion-colored wall section opposite the chair. Viewers are invited to sit in the chair, experiencing the decomposing fat while contemplating the framed red plane.

Ephemerality, material transition, and decomposition are central themes in Gu’s practice. His works often deteriorate or transform during exhibitions, sometimes provoking reactions to the smell of rotting substances. Presenting 2000-04-11 in a museum context posed unique challenges due to the lack of artist involvement, limited information about the piece’s creation, and the potential risks of infestation and unpleasant odors in gallery spaces. To address these issues, the conservation team conducted historical and material research and testing and consulted with Gu's assistant and others familiar with the work. We also monitored the microbiota changes in sealed pork fat to faithfully recreate the sensory experience of the piece while ensuring the safe display of the work.

Despite the absence of written instructions for reinstalling the piece, the team's approach honors Gu's conceptual legacy while adapting the work to its new museum setting. The lack of documentation is attributed to the commercialization and exploitation of the artist’s work. This presentation explores the collaborative efforts made to exhibit 2000-04-11 in Gu’s absence, the risks associated with recreating the experience, and the multiple voices that contributed to presenting and documenting this installation.