Conceptual Art as Artifact: featuring Luna Qiuwen Lyu

An artifact typically acts as a memorial to a civilization and testament to a period of time. But what if the concept of an artifact were to be used as an ‘anti-memorial’ and to instill institutional criticism? Such notions are captured in the conceptual artworks of Luna Qiuwen Lyu, a jewelry designer and interactive installation artist. From sonic waves which traverse space and transmit the chatter of the 20th century recordings in an installation such as A Billion Solitary Universes, Qiuwen creates a metallic construct of a vinyl record, complete with instilled images of the moon on front and earth on back. Such a device is meant to convey not only the limitations of communicative distance in social discourse, but also reflect our desires to be heard by the ‘other’, whether extraterrestrial or institution. 

In Luna Qiuwen Lyu’s jewelry costumes and installations, works such as 4024 predict a dystopian future where the human race has been deliberately shrunken in order to save scarce resources and the remaining fragility of ecology. These oversized jewelry pieces of a pearl earring, a ring, and a locket necklace (complete with Qiuwen’s portrait) reveals a clever cynicism in traversing and predicting the demise of humanity. Qiuwen demonstrates how conceptual art can be used as fragments to reflect the follies and fallen ideals of humankind, by creating distinct anti-memorials and vessels which are conduits of institutional criticism. Ideals such as craving excess, indulging on vanity, and seeking validation seem insignificant when faced with works which expose the corruptive qualities of civilizations. A sort of impurity which causes distractions towards more meaningful pursuits, such as a grounding oneself in philosophical realism.

With an installation such as The Height Effect by Qiuwen, what appears initially as a skyscraper reflecting human desires of grandeur, ends up mechanically morphing into a pit-like cat eye’s view of the cavernous street level. The artist reduces our illusory aspirations of status, such as rising to the higher levels of the skyscraper to achieve success, to an Icarus-like cynicism which cuts us down to humility. From a philosophical perspective, works such as The Height Effect reveals a dichotomy between art and reality. Is art meant to serve and prop up our aspirations? Or rather, act as a chaotic disruption to pop us out of our illusory bubble? The subversion of Qiuwen towards institutional structures and notions, serves as a guide towards how art can be directed to map out a distinct deconstruction of value-systems.

Through ‘artifacts’, whether through sonic devices which traverse the celestial universe or jewelry which ‘appears’ oversized due to the downfall of humanity or devices which reduce skyscrapers to point-of-perspective from the pavement, Luna Qiuwen Lyu reveals tension as truth, disruption as virtue. Artifacts are obviously usually regarded as sacred, priceless commodities, but what if artists were to treat the concept of an artifact as a tool? An apparatus which deconstructs the very fabric of institutionalism, instead of propping up our established ideals and standards. 

In essence, Luna Qiuwen Lyu portrays the concept of the artifact as an enchanted device, such as a wizard’s staff, to bend the world to the very whims of our imagination, for better or worse. Imagine if you will, a necromancer who raises the dead in order create an army to go after their foes or to execute their bidding. Or perhaps an illusionist who manipulates the minds of their opponents with spells which frenzy, fear, or enlighten. The ‘artifact’ in conceptual art is in essence a tool which can be used to reshape human psychology and pursuit towards more meaningful and mindful aspirations. 

The irony within Qiuwen’s art constructs narratives through devices which counteract the immortal and monumental status of institutional structures. In such a way, art as artifact can be a conduit of magnificent chaos which disrupts the status quo and gives an artist the power to bend institutional structures to the very whims of their imagination. But why would an artist want to cause so much chaos? Well, in a world where income inequality has reached astronomical levels, even by standards of pure capitalism, endless global conflict, the mass extinction of animals and sealife, diminishment of resources, and rapid expansion of human impact on ecology, art can serve as a disruption to create a better world and save our future from the selfishness of institutional structures and established standards.

Institutional criticism arises most effectively when derived from art. The artifact as concept serves as a meaningful vehicle to disrupt the established order and offer real solutions in a world of turmoil, suffering, and illogical pursuits. Artifacts are not merely relics in the contemporary era, they can serve as metaphors for the advancement of art to escape the confines of familiarity and predictable formulas in image-making. But don’t misunderstand the debate, the concept of the ‘artifact’ in contemporary art is not about a reflection of the past, but rather an improvised record which timestamps present conditions towards meaningful criticism of our future and our current as well as impending demise.

https://qiuwenlyu.com