The Vienna-based artist collective Mai Ling presents its exhibition Dirt Nouveau at the Kisterem Gallery as part of the OFF-Biennale. In the exhibition the kudzu plant plays a central role, introduced as an ornamental plant at the 1876 World Exposition in the U.S. and later used in agriculture to prevent soil erosion. Native to East and Southeast Asia and some Pacific islands, kudzu is also used in traditional textiles, folk medicine, and cuisine. The root is used to make thickener and glue. In Europe, it is considered an invasive species.
Mai Ling uses the plant’s roots to create a sticky substance featured among others in their Dirt Nouveau installation. The viscous quality symbolizes not only unity and community but also resistance, challenging the stereotypes associated with “Asia” as the exotic Other, and questioning the entanglements of food, migration, colonization, and the dirty and sticky intersections of imagination.
In the exhibition, visitors step into an immersive space of sound installations surrounded by ornamental plant islands. Through collective and individual memories linked to the plants, the stories of Mai Ling’s members are revealed, highlighting complex connections between colonization, horticultural exoticism, and immigrant experiences. The kudzu also appears as ornamentation in the space on a secession-style wallpaper. However, as the title suggests, the art nouveau style of the early 20th century is transformed into dirt nouveau at Mai Ling. The installation was first shown at Mai Ling's solo exhibition NOT YOUR ORNAMENT at the Secession in Vienna in 2023. Another work on display is the collective's first video manifesto, The Beautiful Alien Girl (2019), which critiques the enduring sexist and racial stereotypes of Asian women, based on a 1979 German TV sketch by Gerhard Polt. In the video, the Asian woman (Mai Ling) is objectified by the comedian to satisfy the white man's fantasies. In her satirical work, Mai Ling captures the actuality of this heteronormative attitude.
Founded in Vienna in 2019, Mai Ling seeks to initiate dialogue against racism, sexism, homophobia, and all forms of prejudice, focusing on the experiences of Asian FLINT* (female, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, and trans) communities. The collective works to build a network that combats gender and racial discrimination, amplifying victims’ voices and proposing new forms of community and collaboration. Mai Ling is a hybrid formation, with an ever-changing and anonymous membership where everyone identifies as "Mai Ling." The collective works across various artistic and discursive forms, creating text- and sound-based works, videos, conversation series, interventions, and protests.
Curators: Rita Kálmán, Eszter Lázár
Venue: Kisterem Gallery, Képíró utca 6. (District 5)
Opening: May 8, 18.00
Open: May 8 – June 13, Tuesday – Friday 14.00–18.00
Supported by: Federal Ministry Republic of Austria - Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sports, Austrian Cultural Forum Budapest, Oázis Garden Centers
