This work consists of a video and a light box installation. Inspired by an extremely violent online video, Huang Kui described its content as a process during which “some lives are deprived of by some other lives”. Huang separated this video frame by frame to obtain individual pictures in large quantity: pictures of murdering. Then he applied these pictures on an image of the oil painting named Le Printemps by French artist William-Adolphe Bouguereau, creating a new work, namely, the installation on display. During the production process, the colors of each picture were changed according to Le Printemps. Then, the artist took these color-changed pictures to make a new video, achieving this work that presents a uniquely sparkling effect.

By showing a video via images and reconstructing images via a video, Huang provides spectators with another possible way of observing. Therefore, one can both watch video frame by frame in one particular picture and re-experience the classical painting in the rhythm of pixels. Artist is attempting to rinse out every intolerably violent factual image in the online video by every beautiful and lovely pixel, which, as a result, leads to the form of an imaginary salvation. After baptism and deliverance, however, this video still appears brutal and horrible. Heaven is nothing but an excuse. And we can only pretend to be salved.

Heaven is only an excuse was displayed for the first time on Shanghai History in Making from 1979 till 2009.

Detail pictures: