A Discourse on Labor

Lu Xun’s The True Story of Ah Q critiques Ah Q’s “spiritual victory.” Chan Ho Wang sees Ah Q as a tragic figure resisting society. This exhibition’s title references Ah Q’s story, while Chan offers a playful yet serious perspective on his helplessness. He explores the relationship between emotional labor and exploitation, reimagining Ah Q’s mental oppression in contemporary society.

Invisible, undervalued labor, often performed by women, fuels capitalist society. Self-exploitation saps will and spirit, while emotional labor is marginalized. Mocking Ah Q’s attempts to cope with oppression ignores systemic collapse and exploitation.

The exhibition space becomes a chaotic mental prison. Works delve into one’s inner world, revealing societal complexity. Videos, images, and found objects explore the connection between symbolism and labor. Normal Operation highlights futile, repetitive labor, while Murmurs of The Machines captures the anxiety of mental exploitation. Bu Yao Qi Lai (Do Not Arise) satirically advocates self-exploitation, while Under Maintenance reimagines Ah Q as a woke figure. I Wish To Be Seen features inflatable balloons and a repetitive footage of the artist, representing Ah Q’s worn-out state and the product of emotional outbursts.

Chan Ho Wang’s artistic practice focuses on image making, influenced by documentary photography. His works explore social trauma, power relations, institutions, and surveillance. Chan’s grassroots background and street photography experience have shaped his perspective as an observer, allowing him to gain insight into suffering and social injustice through photography. In this exhibition, Chan aims to respond to the plight of small people and the complexities of emotional labor and exploitation in a more intimate way.

Text, editing, and translation: Hou Lam Tsui, Ip Hin Ching aka Jay