Within his neon sign works, Beijing-based artist He An explores the experience of the individual within the contemporary Chinese metropolis.
For Asia TOPA, he’s installing his 2008/09 piece Do You Think That You Can Help Her Brother? on the facade of ACCA.
Comprised of more than 50 neon Mandarin characters from neon shop signs across Beijing, the artwork draws on news stories and social media to create a new poetic ‘narrative’ about those operating at the margins, or in the underground, of Beijing.
Curator Hannah Matthew says, "He An has a long interest in language, literature and the urban environment. … Do You Think That You Can Help Her Brother? is a transgressive and poetic work referencing the shifting changes in style of the neon signage that punctuates Beijing’s cityscape and the impact of social media on relaying stories and shaping behaviour.”