Lu Pingyuan
Masterpiece in the Water
Masterpiece in the Water by Lu Pingyuan tells the story of an impatient collector who is killed by an artist. This murder becomes an artwork in of itself as the story within the story sheds light on the psychological anxieties faced by soldiers during war time, the family bond, and the paranormal. This playful, yet violent, story explores the amusing similarity between supernatural events and the creation of artistic ideas, while reflecting on the complex relationships that exist within the art world. It also exposes the power of superstitions, the existence of ghosts, and imagination as methods of survival. Through both its form and presentation Lu’s work engages with key concerns in contemporary art, particularly materiality versus immateriality, and narrative versus visual form.