I’m currently showing a single work in a group exhibition in Shanghai themed around Taoism.
As I’ve recently developed a deep interest in Taoism myself, I truly resonate with the concept behind this exhibition.
Below is the Japanese translation of the exhibition’s curatorial statement, which I found very compelling. In today’s world, where everything is evaluated based on “cost-performance” and “time-efficiency,” usefulness is excessively emphasized. As a result, many people who can’t keep up with such values begin to lose their confidence and sense of mental ease.
If we focus solely on what’s considered “useful,” then art itself could be deemed unnecessary in our society. But the truth is, encountering art can sometimes stimulate the brain and spark new ideas. In that sense, art embodies what is called “the utility of uselessness.”
In a society that prioritizes utility above all, I believe it’s more important than ever to cherish those things that can’t be measured or quantified—like the calm and space for reflection that art provides. These seemingly “useless” things are, in fact, essential for us to live as fully human beings.
无用之用——你在焦虑什么？
The Utility of Uselessness – Why So Anxious?
Exhibition Period: March 7 – May 4, 2025
Artists:
Zheng Yuanwu, Zhang Chaoji, Yan Zeming, Xu Jingfu, Wu Nan, Ruobing Sangan, Qian Renyan, Ma Zuoran, Lu Lingkuan, Li Shuang, Jin Zhaoxin, Geng Xinru, Fan Xiaodong, Dong Xiaochen, Dong Jianying, Chen Jianzhou, Cao Zheng
Organizer: 3723 Art Museum
Co-organizer: LANYIYUN Gallery
Venue: Gallery A, 3723 Art Museum
2F-207, Shangyue Bay Plaza, 66 Yincheng Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai
【from Curator’s introduction of the exhibition】
Have these words ever crossed your mind?
Falling into endless self-exhaustion because of dissatisfaction with yourself?
Who, after all, gets to define what’s “useful”? And does “useful” necessarily mean “good”?
3723 Art Museum, in collaboration with LANYIYUN Gallery, is proud to present a brand new exhibition:
“The Use of the Useless — What Are You Anxious About?”
Here, you’re welcome to share your anxieties with us — because what you see as “useless” might just be the very source of creativity.
The exhibition opens on March 7, 2025. Let’s blend our anxieties into vibrant colors, deconstruct the notion of “uselessness” with our brushes, and turn late-night self-doubt into artistic expression. Within the exhibition space of the 3723 Art Museum, we’ll paint a universe of stars.
Last year, I went through a period of deep anxiety. My child became addicted to video games and increasingly resistant to school. At first, he’d skip a day occasionally. But then, he stopped going for several days in a row.
One day, he said to me in a dejected tone:
“Mom, why am I so useless? I can’t understand my classes, I have no talent, and even though I know gaming is bad, I just can’t stop. What will I do with my life?”
My heart sank. I was both surprised and heartbroken. This was a child who used to be so confident — how did he come to see himself as worthless? I had thought that if I didn’t pressure him to achieve, he’d have a happy school life. But I was wrong — it wasn’t that simple.
I think many of us feel it: today’s society seems to be pushing us forward at full speed. There’s intense competition everywhere. Parents are caught between forcing their children to “compete” or surrendering and giving up. Depression is on the rise among young people, and many adults feel crushed by pressure. They want to relax, but are afraid to — worried that easing up means becoming a “useless” person with “no value.”
But who decides what’s useful or useless?
That’s why we’re holding this themed exhibition, “The Use of the Useless,” in the name of art — to provoke thought and conversation around this issue, and to give everyone a space to express their feelings and ideas through art.
We hope that every artist, collaborator, and visitor who takes part in this artistic celebration will draw strength from it — to boldly pursue what may seem useless, but is in fact truly beautiful.
