Monday morning, hundreds of art lovers gathered at The Ringling to watch Beijing-based performance artist Li Wei soar 40 feet above the ground, creating an illusion of what people may consider a dangerous reality.
Wei’s first of two performances on the grounds of The Ringling, used the Cá d’Zan as a backdrop as he soared in the skies, imitating the motion of a traditional dragon kite floating underneath him. The Cá d’Zan, a 36,000-square-foot, five-story, waterfront house, was home to John and Mable Ringling after the building was completed in 1926.
The photos he created will be digitally manipulated to remove the cranes and harness suspension cables, recreating conceptual stunts and the final images will become a part of the Museum’s permanent collection. His visit coincides with Ringling's exhibition Seeing the Unseen: Photography and Video Art in China Now.
Rumor has it that they may be on display as early as this Thursday, when Wei will take part in a conversation about his work, joined by the Curator of Asian Art, Fan Chang; Helga Wall-Apellt, Associate Curator of Asian Art, and Carolyn Bloomer, Coordinator, Cross-cultural Perspectives Curriculum, Ringling College of Art and Design. This event will be part of the Ringling's Art After 5.
Wei’s work, often featuring gravity-defying performances, will be part of his latest and ongoing Fly series, where he has figured out a way to successfully combine performance, installation and photography. Pushing the boundaries of conceptual photography has resulted in the viewer challenging reality and truth.
Wei is most interested in the perception of viewers. “You must have your emotions and feelings to be involved with his performance. His work is like having a dialogue with his audience. There’s a bridge that joins the two.”
Between the two shoots, Wei spoke through an interpreter saying that he’s not afraid of heights, declaring “freedom is the most important part."
"When I’m in the air, I feel free and alive,” he added.
When asked about his biggest challenges, Wei responded, “While there have certainly been some, if you set your mind to it, you can overcome anything.”
The best artists are problem solvers. Or is it that problem-solvers make the best artists?
Photos of the vagaries of human flight aside, the performances themselves create their own shock value by just looking at how complex of a process it was to get Wei "levitating" in the air. There were two giant cranes, harnesses, cables, motorized lifts and a team of people standing behind him.
The second performance scheduled for 2 p.m. was moved up to 1 p.m. as rain and tornado-force winds threatened the area. Wei was suspended in front of, on top of and upside-down on the replica of the statue of David that looks over the museum courtyard before being lowered back down to solid ground.
Framed with a mirror around his neck, Wei was elevated back into the air where his photographer was able to create photos that will look as if Wei’s head is floating in the scene.
One of my favorite parts of the day was showing Wei a photo series I have been working on for over two years called B is for Box. Before I even told him they were mine, he responded with a smile and said he had seen them before. His interpreter and I were equally as shocked, prompting me to inquire further, which eventually led to me taking photos of Wei and including him in my series.
Next it’s back to Beijing for Wei where he will be involved in a new program in which he is going to photograph 100 people. Each will have a different life and image. For Wei’s next flight, he wants to fly with witnesses again, as he did today in Sarasota at the Ringling Museum, but this time the scene will have an environment built around it.
More photos from Li Wei's flying adventure below ...
