Floating Heavenly Palace

2007

Bronze, edition no. 2/8

62(L) x 41(W) x 129(H) cm

Engraved Li Chen in Chinese and English, Numbered 2/8 and dated 2007

Estimate
5,500,000 - 8,800,000
1,447,000 - 2,316,000
186,400 - 298,300
Sold Price
9,000,000
2,400,000
309,704

Ravenel Autumn Auction 2012 Taipei

664

LI Chen (Taiwanese, b. 1963)

Floating Heavenly Palace


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EXHIBITED:
Li Chen: Mind · Body · Spirit, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, 2009 (different sized version)
Greatness of Spirit: Li Chen Premiere Sculpture Exhibition in Taiwan, Chiang Kai–Shek Memorial Hall, Taipei, 2011(different sized version)
ILLUSTRATED:
Li Chen: In Search of Spiritual Space, 2008 Solo Exhibition at National Art Museum of China, Asia Art Center, Taipei, 2008, color illustrated, p. 185
Li Chen: Mind · Body · Spirit, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, 2009, color illustrated, cover page, pp. 132–137
Greatness of Spirit: Li Chen Premiere Sculpture Exhibition in Taiwan, Asia Art Center, Taipei, 2012, color illustrated, pp. 38–39, pp. 48–49 & pp. 96–101

Catalogue Note:
Li Chen’s latest representative masterpiece is "Floating Heavenly Palace", which was completed in 2007. This piece was inspired from reading the poem "Partridge Sky" composed by the poet Zhu Dun–ru from the Song Dynasty.
(Translation:)
"Partridge Sky", a poem from the Song Dynasty, by Zhu Dunru
A heavenly god in charge of the mountains and rivers, Heaven has bestowed upon me a wild and untamable nature.
Able to summon the winds and the rain, I can easily maneuver nature.
Full of knowledge and holding my liquor well, I've never fancied the position of power.
I don’t even want to live in the Heavenly Palace, I would rather ride on the breeze in a pure and clear state, and being enchanted in Loyang.
Li Chen was saddened after reading Zhu's poem. He lamented Zhu's unfortunate experience and sympathized with Zhu for his sorrows and unhappiness caused by his being born at the wrong time. If Zhu were born in this era and was allowed ample freedom to create his works, he might live a totally different life. He could have been able to pursue a life that is worth living. In our modern society, varied values exist and each person can adopt a life attitude that he identifies with instead of blindly following the mainstream values. However, what is ironic is that if Zhu weren’t limited by the environment and values at that time, he would not have been able to compose such a beautiful poem. It is important to search for one’s own values under different circumstances.
A golden palace in the cloud is held by one finger of the smiling figure, who balances himself easily with one foot on a Taihu rock and is composed and calm. What does this golden palace refer to? Power, fortune, heaven, utopia or nothingness? There is an unfettered freedom connecting to somewhere afar like a small boat floating above the cloud. Viewers are invited to find their own references with one’s own thoughts and life goals.

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