Retired Pillar, Jin Shan

Retired Pillar features a Corinthian column replicated in latex and connected to an air supply, which simulates strained breathing. The column references the French colonial legacy of Shanghai. As artist Jin Shan observes, “Roman-styled pillars, ubiquitous around Shanghai, reveal the deep influence that colonialism had on local culture.” Neoclassical columns continue to be a prevalent decorative feature of luxury developments throughout China, often adorning the gated entrances to exclusive neighborhoods. In Jin’s words, the decaying neoclassical columns as a legacy of semi-colonial Shanghai are “often misinterpreted, distorted and augmented—and their new incarnation belies an empty desire to express a completely defunct paradigm of power and authority.” The column’s belabored breathing playfully critiques the pursuit of wealth and prestige in present-day China, implying that status symbols have become exhausted through their excessive repetition.