Stare (2022) depicts a figure examining her own
body. She stands on tiptoe to observe her excreta, creating a bizarre sense of
intimacy. The shock
and uneasiness caused by this predicament of intimacy peak when the work is presented
in the public environment of the fair. The peephole in the wall of the booth
directs the viewers’ eyes to the sculpture, providing a voyeuristic
perspective. The viewers' gaze meets her upward-looking empty eyes, adding
another dimension to the work. The posture can be associated with a mundane yet
secretive moment, or a standing birth posture, and can also be interpreted as
erotic or even defiant. By evoking a complexity of feelings, Liao Wen
invites viewers to rethink when the body stops being a natural organism and becomes
inevitably bound to societal norms and values.
