SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The familiar image of endless rows of terracotta warriors represents the power of an ancient civilization. Chinese artist Mr. Gong Yuebin’s new exhibit of such an epic sight will open in Sacramento’s Crocker Art Museum on March 10. But do not mistake it to be a replica of China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb site; viewers will be surprised with powerful and thought-provoking messages.
The monumental project titled Site 2801 sits in the historic building housing Crocker Art Museum’s ballroom. This unique location allows viewers to experience the exhibit from ground level and above.
Two hundred terracotta warriors, based on models of those unearthed in 1970 in Xi'an, China, are displayed in formation. Mixed in the ranks are an additional 10 modern combat soldier statues, in helmets and uniforms. Four nuclear missiles, made of fiberglass, are carried by the warriors above their heads. Viewers are invited to be confronted with this “unearthed archeological site” from the future.
“The Xi'an terracotta warriors displayed Qin Shi Huang’s power 2,000 years ago. I feel that the human world did not change very much; people are always fighting in the name of their nation, belief, and their children,” Gong said. “However, it’s often some unspoken desires that drive them to war and conquest.”
Inside each of the decaying, rusted missile shells lays a baby’s statue, covered with blood red paint. Gong explains, “Babies represent future, peace, and hope; wars and human violence destroyed that… If you look at the baby’s face, it’s of an old man.”
Gong spent three months in Xi‘an to produce these warriors. The statues are made of the same clay material used in the Qin tomb 2,000 years ago, sourced from Li Mountain, about 30 miles from Xi’an. The Qin terracotta statues were initially painted with bright colors, and later blackened from a fire set by Xiang Yu, who conquered Qin, and then buried in clay for 2,000 years. When the artist created the statues, he used a three-layered paint process to retrace the historical steps of the statues.
Mr. Scott Shields, Chief Curator of the Crocker Art Museum, was very glad they are the first to exhibit “Site 2801.”
“Crocker doesn’t have a lot of room; our travel exhibit space has been fully scheduled until 2015. We had to think creatively and rearrange a few things to exhibit Gong’s project.”
When Shields visited Gong’s studio in downtown Sacramento two years ago to view his exhibit “Life’s Crossroads,” he was impressed and realized the uniqueness of Gong’s creations.
