Artwork Description

Title: Plaintive Series – String Quartet
Artist: Jingcai Kong
Date: Undated
Medium: Sculpture / Installation (4 elements)
Dimensions: 580 × 150 × 235 cm (228.3 × 59.1 × 92.5 in)

1. Artwork Identification
Plaintive Series – String Quartet by Jingcai Kong is a large-scale sculptural installation composed of four distinct components. The work features a set of deconstructed string instruments—presumably violins and cellos—encased within transparent vitrines. The presentation emphasizes both the material fragility and expressive resonance of these classical instruments, invoking the physicality of sound and the silent aftermath of music.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Kong’s sculptural language draws from conceptual and minimalist traditions, blending a refined aesthetic with poetic metaphors. By disassembling familiar musical forms and recontextualizing them within sterile glass enclosures, the artist creates a contemplative tension between preservation and loss. The piece echoes influences ranging from Arte Povera to contemporary Chinese conceptualism, where everyday objects become vessels for deeper emotional and cultural narratives.

3. Historical Context
This work arises within a broader conversation in contemporary Chinese art about memory, loss, and cultural dislocation. The string instruments—icons of Western classical tradition—are here transformed into elegiac artifacts. Their fragmentation may allude to disrupted continuity, mourning, or the silence following performance. While undated, the piece resonates with early 21st-century practices in installation art that prioritize poetic minimalism and cross-cultural symbolism.

4. Provenance and Authenticity
For provenance information and documentation of authenticity, please contact the gallery directly. Certificates and supporting records are available upon request.

5. Condition and Conservation
The installation is in excellent condition. All sculptural elements, including the glass vitrines and instrument components, are intact and structurally sound. No significant surface wear, cracks, or conservation issues are noted. Standard precautions for light exposure and environmental control are recommended for long-term display.

6. Artistic Significance
Plaintive Series – String Quartet is emblematic of Jingcai Kong’s sensitivity to material and metaphor. It offers a meditative encounter with silence, structure, and the emotional residue of sound. The work stands as a poignant investigation of musical and cultural fragmentation, making it a compelling addition to the discourse on sound, memory, and form in contemporary installation art.