Photo: Wilson Lam. Image courtesy of M+, Hong Kong
NARRATOR:
This sculpture is called Don't Touch!. Created by Liu Wei in 2010, it is crafted from rawhide—cowhide commonly used for dog chews—along with metal and wood. Measuring approximately 2.7 metres in height, 4.2 metres in length, and 2.3 metres in width, the sculpture is roughly the length of a van, but slightly taller and wider.
Suspended above ground, the upper part of the sculpture resembles the architectural complex of the Potala Palace in Tibet. Meanwhile, the lower part mimics steep mountain slopes with rugged rocks at the base. Viewed in its entirety, the palace looks as if it has been uprooted, with the mountains still attached, delicately hovering in mid-air.
A row of square-roofed buildings of varying heights is densely arranged in a staggered formation across the mountaintop. Stairs wind upward from the base, leading to different parts of the palace. Several smaller buildings are dotted along the stairs. Beneath the palace lies a nearly vertical cliff wall, marked by jutting rocks and sharply defined ridgelines.
The entire piece is crafted from rawhide pieces of varying shapes and sizes. They are sewn together to form a sturdy, rough texture that has a translucent, muddy-yellow tone. A few white patches resemble snow on the cliff, and visible stitches mark the seams. Take a closer look at the exterior walls of each building, and you will notice orderly rows of small square windows. The tallest structure features a pointed roof, Dhvaja-like pillars, and circular carvings. And the mountainscape is punctuated with crevices and perforations.
By choosing rawhide, a cheap and coarse material, Liu Wei creates a stark contrast to the solemn and majestic Potala Palace. This deliberate juxtaposition invites us to consider how political and cultural symbols are constructed.