Ge Yulu
A Side Business 13800
A Side Business 13800 is a box that holds 13,800 RMB worth of cashier’s notes. The artist became an internet sensation in China, when he submitted his final project as a student at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, revealing the unnamed road in Beijing that he had claimed in 2014 as his own. Because the Lu character in his name means road, he erected a sign for Geyu Road that blended into the setting. Geyu Road soon appeared on AutoNavi, the Chinese equivalent of Google Maps, and Google Maps itself.
Due to his fame, he was offered a job as a product consultant at a tech company. He had the freedom to invent products that the company would produce. Over this period of consulting, he earned 13,800 RMB after tax. Because he did not have equity in the product or company, his earnings did not increase even if the product was successful. This work symbolizes the part-time jobs that an artist has to take on to make a living throughout different periods of their career. Imprinted on the plexiglass is text recounting the artist’s experience. The series brings the precarity of being an artist as well as the injustice that those in precarious work conditions face.
While seemingly light and tongue-in-cheek, Ge Yulu’s artistic practice examines the dark sides of social systems. His work reflects the conditions of our time and of being a Chinese citizen. He is particularly interested in the effects of inequalities and how art can be a space for dialogue and criticality.
Ge Yulu graduated from the Media Art Department of Hubei Institute of Fine Arts in 2013, and received a M.F.A. from the Experimental Art Department at Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2018. He now lives and works on the outskirts of Beijing. Ge Yulu’s interests lie in the witty expressions in public urban space. Through his art, Ge Yulu strives to mock up the hidden paradox in life. By intervening and negotiating with the public space using his body, Ge Yulu aims to create new dynamic relationships.