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by Yue Minjun
Personal Reflection
It made me think about how repetition can erase individuality, or maybe protect it. Like smiling so hard no one asks questions anymore.
About This Artwork
“Execution” (1995) is one of Yue Minjun’s most iconic works, referencing historical imagery while replacing figures with his signature laughing self-portraits. The painting gained global attention when it was sold at auction in London, marking a key moment for Chinese contemporary art in the global market. Yue Minjun painted Execution in 1995 in a month. He sold the painting to Hong Kong art dealer Manfred Schoeni for $5,000. Trevor Simon, an investment banker, stumbled across the painting in 1996 in the back of a Hong Kong gallery. He convinced Schoeni to sell the piece for HK$250,000 / US$32,200. The painting was then shipped from Hong Kong to London, where Simon stored it in a warehouse. Under the terms, the painting was to remain out of sight for five years in a warehouse. In 2007, Execution became the most expensive work of Chinese contemporary art, selling for £2.9 million / US$5.9 million / €4.2 million at London's Sotheby's.[2] The art piece was billed by Sotheby's as "Among the most historically important paintings of the Chinese avant-garde ever to appear at auction." Simon called Yue a brave man for painting something so politically dangerous. Yue Minjun is associated with Cynical Realism, a movement reflecting irony, disillusionment, and emotional tension in post-1989 China. His repeated laughing figure becomes both a personal symbol and a collective mask.
- Artist
- Yue Minjun
- Location
- Sotheby’s London (auction, 2007), London
- Date experienced
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