Wood-Chain VII (Great Wall of China) 2004

Curator: This is Thomas Hirschhorn's "Wood-Chain VII (Great Wall of China)," from 2004, a mixed-media sculpture. Editor: It's striking how he uses such humble materials – wood and collage – to create something that resembles a piece of jewelry, a kind of oversized, perhaps ironic, pendant. The contrast between the material and the subject matter feels significant. What do you see in this piece, beyond the immediately apparent? Curator: I see Hirschhorn engaging in a critique of power structures and global narratives. The Great Wall, a symbol of division and control, is presented as a kind of gaudy adornment. Think about how that sits alongside phrases like “Utopia” and "One World–One War–One Army–One Dress.” How does this juxtaposition affect your understanding? Editor: I guess it’s like, taking this symbol of separation and these ideals of unity, and stringing them together—literally—as a kind of absurd statement. It's like he is questioning both. Is he suggesting that utopia is an unattainable ideal, perhaps even a dangerous one when forced? Curator: Precisely. Hirschhorn often uses readily available, low-value materials to challenge elitism within the art world and to make a statement about consumerism and disposable culture. The cheapness of the chain contrasts starkly with the grand historical weight of the Great Wall. And it mirrors a certain, shall we say, "bling culture" of the early 2000s. Does that add to your interpretation? Editor: Yes, it adds another layer! The materials mock the idea of preciousness. By using those recognizable catchphrases alongside it, he creates something that seems to embody global conflict. Curator: It's a collision of the global and the personal, the historical and the contemporary. What began as just a piece of jewellery, has expanded in our view to be this critical piece that invites us to question monuments and narratives, Editor: Absolutely. Seeing it through this lens has completely changed my perspective! I now see layers of critique and commentary I hadn't noticed initially.