Tiger's Whip, one of Tang Da Wu's most well-known performances, was presented at the former National Museum Art Gallery of Singapore and Chinatown from 1991 to 1992. The title of the work refers to the tiger's penis, reflecting the Asian belief in the aphrodisiac properties of the animal's reproductive organ. The work also addresses the plight of poached tigers in the region for the purpose of its consumption for increased virility. During the Tiger's Whip performances, Tang used various symbolic objects such as a bed, a basketball and boat oars to represent the notions of intercourse, manhood and sexual prowess, for which the tigers have been sacrificed. The performances included eight white tigers as a representation of the spirits of the dead animals, while Tang played the various roles of the poacher, the tiger and the man who consumed the tiger's whip, making suggestive gestures of the work's themes.

The Tiger's Whip installation was inspired by Tang's performances on the senseless killing of animals and its unnecessary bloodshed. Comprising of a lone tiger spirit lunging at a rocking chair, a reference to lust-filled elderly man, the work was first shown as part of the National Sculpture Exhibition at the National Museum Art Gallery of Singapore in 1991. The exhibition was preceded by the 1st Sculpture Seminar within the same year, and drew much discussion on the development of the sculpture genre and contemporary art practices. In more recent times, it has been suggested that the installation could have been conceived with the participants of the seminar.

Related Exhibitions:

Collections

Related Texts: