Qingsong, Wang. “Competition.” The Paris Review, 4 Feb. 2011, https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2011/02/04/competition/.
Wang Qingsong’s “Competition” is not outstanding because of its scale alone, but also due to the cultural significance it has. The piece is meant to mimic and mock the walls of China’s cities, when rival Red Guard factions hung handmade posters. In this instance, the scale and magnitude of these posters is exaggerated to create a sense of overwhelming claustrophobia, and the feeling that the advertising competition is endless. Qingsong was very successful in showing this, and makes a statement by leaving American company posters like McDonald’s and Citi Bank on the ground, as if they had been torn down -further emphasizing the inter-rivalry of Red Guard factions in China.
Although Qingsong may not have taken this shot (he is seen in the image with a megaphone but could have set a timer), the way the photograph is taken also plays an important role in the meaning of this piece. Qingsong’s actual art piece are the hundreds of handmade posters covering the wall, however, by placing various people in the shot hanging up posters, it creates a sort of reenactment of the rival advertisers in China hanging up posters.