VOID
Artwork Record
Artist:
Mr.J (DALONG WANG)
Year: 2024–Ongoing
Medium: Installation
Materials: More than 100 discarded spring mattresses, metal spring structures, fire, and naturally occurring environmental elements.
Approximate Dimensions: 12 × 12 × 7 ft
Work Description
Void is a large-scale installation constructed from more than one hundred discarded spring mattresses.
The work develops through a sequence of accumulation, burning, and reconstruction. The mattresses are initially gathered and stacked into a large structure. They are then deliberately burned, destroying their original forms and domestic functions while leaving exposed metal spring structures and visible traces of fire.
Following the burning process, the remaining materials are gathered and stacked again, forming a new configuration from the transformed remains.
The work continues beyond this reconstruction. Exposed to the natural environment, the metal structures undergo weathering and oxidation. Vegetation gradually emerges and grows among the remaining structures, introducing further changes that are not entirely determined by the artist.
The installation therefore comprises both the artist's deliberate interventions and the subsequent material and environmental changes.
Process and Development
Stage 1 — Accumulation
More than one hundred discarded spring mattresses are collected and assembled into a large-scale structure.
Stage 2 — Burning
The assembled mattresses are deliberately burned. Their original forms and functions are destroyed, exposing the metal spring structures and leaving traces of fire.
Stage 3 — Reconstruction
The remaining materials are gathered and stacked again, creating a new physical configuration.
Stage 4 — Environmental Transformation
The reconstructed structure remains exposed to natural conditions. Weathering, oxidation, and the emergence of vegetation contribute to its continuing physical transformation.
Ongoing Documentation
The work is documented as an evolving installation rather than solely as a completed physical arrangement.
Its documentation includes:
- Initial accumulation and assembly
- The burning process
- Post-burning material conditions
- Reconstruction and installation views
- Subsequent environmental changes
- Vegetation growth and material weathering
Archival Note
Void is an ongoing work initiated in 2024. Its physical condition and surrounding environment continue to change over time.
This record documents the work's materials, construction, processes, and physical development. Interpretive and critical discussion is presented separately in the Foundation's Criticism section.
Ark Art Foundation
Artwork & Exhibition Archives
A Critical Reading of Void
