Wasted Mud is the first solo exhibition in a UK institution by Shanghai based artist Yu Ji who works with sculpture, video, print and performance. Influenced by research conducted during a residency at Delfina Foundation, London, in 2019, Yu Ji’s new commission sees London as a site for exploring the human body in relation to our built and natural environments.

Building on Yu Ji’s ongoing series of fragmented concrete torsos, this exhibition includes two new concrete sculptures depicting bodies bound together, one contained within plaster and wood. Influenced by the birth of her first child, these sculptures comment on human interdependence, exchange and transformation.

Hung from the gallery walls and suspended in mid-air is Breeding Bed (2021), a large handmade net filled with recycled wreckage from local construction sites in Tower Hamlets, alongside objects from the artist’s studio in Shanghai. Ten plastic tubes connect to a self-regulating electronic water pump, slowly leaking plant-infused water throughout the gallery space, altering the exterior of her sculptures and seeping liquid into the building’s floor.

Wasted Mud develops Yu Ji’s enquiry into a symbiotic relationship between her body and specific contexts in which she works. By transforming the gallery into a site under construction — where what is considered debris reveals its potential for hidden vitality, Yu Ji’s new work exposes our reliance upon one another and renews focus on the spaces that contain and sustain us.

Covid-19 Safety Measures:

We have additional health and safety measures in place to ensure the safety of our staff and audience members. These include our front of house staff wearing PPE masks and frequent cleaning of public areas. We kindly ask all visitors to:

• Wear a face covering (If you are exempt, please let us know when you book your ticket so that our team is aware);
• Maintain a 2m distance from other visitors and gallery staff;
• Use the hand sanitiser provided before entering the exhibition;
• Scan the QR code via your NHS Test and Trace app upon arrival.

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Office hours: Monday - Friday, 10am until 6pm

Gallery opening hours during exhibitions: Wednesday to Sunday, 12 – 6pm

Access and Facilities

At Chisenhale Gallery we care about being a welcoming, comfortable place that can be shared and is accessible for everyone. We believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that our spaces are not disabling. Please visit our Access and Facilities page on our website for further information, or get in touch with our team on mail@chisenhale.org.uk

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