Hailing from one of Yu Ji’s most notable series “Public Space” which the artist began creating since 2007, the present work is an otherworldly revisitation of sculpture and an extension of its three dimensionality, further challenging the ideas of context and narrative. In reference to the indistinctive reproductions of Socialist-era public lavatories following China’s ‘Open Door’ policy, Public Space No.3 is a wholly organic example that displays the artist’s exploration of utilising upcycled materials within her works. Drawing upon her recollection of memories and interest in the configurations and architectural designs of these public spaces, Yu Ji constructed the present communal structure with meticulously handcrafted plaster cubes presented atop of a makeshift pedestal fabricated with slabs of discarded wood – imbuing a sense of fragility and distinctiveness.
Throughout this conceptual series of sculptural works, the artist aims to consider the shifting nature of our quotidian relationship between mind, body, and architecture. At once unassuming, lies an underlying complicatedness where Yu Ji adopts a literary approach of investigating Walter Benjamin’s unique concept of ‘involuntary’ and ‘conscious’ memory.
Yu Ji’s unique artistic practice continues to transcend time and space whilst subverting the authority of formal and historical accuracy. This has positioned her as one of the most exciting contemporary Chinese artists working today.