- Title: Chinese artist makes colourful paper guns to examine weapons and war
- Date: 19th June 2017
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 15, 2017) (REUTERS) CHINESE ARTIST LI HONGBO SETTING UP HIS ARTWORK OF "OCEAN OF FLOWERS" LI PREPARING A PAPER SCULPTURE IN THE SHAPE OF A HANDGUN LI PUTTING PAPER SCULPTURE INTO PLACE LI PUTTING PAPER SCULPTURE IN THE SHAPE OF AK-47 ASSAULT RIFLE LI OPENING PAPER SCULPTURE LI PREPARING FOR HIS EXHIBITION A GUN-SHAPED PAPER SCULPTURE BEING OPENED UP (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE ARTIST, LI HONGBO, SAYING: "I produced this artwork, (because) after all there is still military competition, war and fear in this world. I wonder if (my work) could make people let go of their obsessions in their mind and pursue a kind of true peace, a truly beautiful world for mankind without any disputes." VARIOUS OF LI HONGBO SETTING UP HIS PAPER SCULPTURES BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 18, 2017) (REUTERS) PEOPLE LOOKING AT AND TAKING PICTURES OF THE ARTWORK "OCEAN OF FLOWERS" WOMAN SQUATTING AND TAKING PHOTOS COLOURFUL PAPER SCULPTURES AT THE EXHIBITION MORE OF PEOPLE VIEWING THE PAPER SCULPTURES (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 39-YEAR-OLD VISITOR, LI YE, SAYING: "He transforms the paper concept into 3D structures, and uses weapons to express colours and beauty. This itself is a kind of realization on the impact between the visual and the material. I personally don't sense any gun smoke from the art work. I think he wants to reconcile (with war) and change it into a state of beauty. But actually the true meaning needs to be found by people themselves." PEOPLE VIEWING AND TOUCHING THE SCULPTURES IN THE SHOW ROOM ARTWORK OF ASSAULT RIFLE AND BOY PLAYING WITH A PAPER BULLET VARIOUS OF VISITORS PLAYING WITH HANDGUN-SHAPED SCULPTURES (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 56-YEAR-OLD VISITOR, WANG DUANTING, SAYING: "A weapon that is used to kill people becomes a toy, a flower. It is an extreme contrast. So it makes us think deeply about peace, war, life and death." LI YE LOOKING AT THE PAPER BULLETS WITH HER DAUGHTER HANDGUNS AND BULLETS MADE OF HUNDRED PAPERS GLUED TOGETHER (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 7-YEAR-OLD GIRL, HAO JIABEI, SAYING: "It's very creative and these bullets are of a lot of fun. It looks like there's elasticity in it. When it's flattened back, it looks like a sculpture, but it's actually made of paper." BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 15, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LI SHOWING THE PAPER SCULPTURES
- Embargoed: 3rd July 2017 11:46
- Keywords: gun art paper installation
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News
- Reuters ID: LVA0016LY0K7T
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Chinese artist Li Hongbo turned weapons into flowers in a colourful paper art exhibition in downtown Beijing on Sunday (June 18).
The exhibition, "Oceans of Flowers", presents a sprawling landscape of paper accordion decorations, which when folded turn into weapons such as handguns, AK47 assault rifles, and bullets.
Li says 2,000 "weapons" were used in the installation, which reflects his thoughts about desire, destruction, hatred and war. He said by transforming a gun into a decoration, he wanted to show that people should turn hostility into friendship. Around 300 visitors came to see his artwork on the first day.
The exhibition was originally displayed in Sydney in 2012. The current show is the first time for Li to showcase his work on such a large scale in China and will run until July 20. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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