Thought for Food

M. and I have an ongoing debate about the relevance and value of contemporary art. We both agreed “Waste Not” by Song Dong is powerful, provocative, and, yes, relevant and valuable. It confirmed my suspicion that the most exciting art is being made in China.

The MoMA describes the work thus:

A collaboration first conceived of with the artist’s mother, the installation consists of the complete contents of her home, amassed over fifty years during which the Chinese concept of wu jin qi yong, or “waste not,” was a prerequisite for survival. The assembled materials, ranging from pots and basins to blankets, oil flasks, and legless dolls, form a miniature cityscape that viewers can navigate around and through.