Art is just rubbish! Artist showcases 10,000 items hoarded by his mother over 50 years (including bits of old soap and empty toothpaste tubes)



Ever thought art could be made up of empty toothpaste tubes, chairs, pieces of half-used soap and dozens of old shoes?



Chinese artist Song Dong has scooped up five decades of his mother's clutter and is showcasing it at a London exhibition called Waste Not.



All 10,000 items are on display at the Barbican's Curve Gallery to illustrate the strong bonds between family members and how the power of objects tell stories and shape lives.

Song Dong poses in his installation. The artwork comprises over 10,000 items collected by Song Dong's mother over five decades

Women film Chinese artist Song Dong's installation entitled 'Waste Not' in The Curve at the Barbican Art Gallery



The activity of saving and re-using things is in keeping with the Chinese adage wu jin qi yong – ‘waste not’ – a prerequisite for survival during periods of social and political turmoil. During the early post-war Communist years families saved everything, including things which might be deemed rubbish, in case they needed them in the future. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next Rabbis, rags and rainy Whitechapel: Stunning photos from the... Now that rocks! British photographer snaps stunning natural... Share this article Share Among the items Zhao Xiangyuan collected were various televisions, metal pots and pans, hundreds of water bottles, soft toys and piles and piles of old clothes. The installation took two weeks to arrange after the objects were shipped over from China.

The five decades worth of possessions were collected by Song Dong's mother who lived in Beijing including several televisions and numerous cuddly toys



The items range from these plastic bottles, a section of a house to metal pots and plastic bowls, blankets, bottle caps, toothpaste tubes and toys Zhao Xiangyuan died suddenly in 2009. She lived in a two-bedroom flat in Beijing but sank into depression after Song Dong's father's death in 2002 and began hoarding more and more items.

He said: ' I understand her need to fill the space with those daily life objects more as a need to fill the emptiness after my father’s death.'

Empty toothpaste tubes: The installation is Song Dong's first major solo exhibition in the UK and opens to the general public today

Pots, pans and cooking utensils are among the everyday items on display illustrating decades of clutter Song Dong, 46, asked his mother if she would help him with his exhibition in a bid to distract her from her grief.

He added: 'For me, the most emotional items are the soap. When I got married my mother gave me it and I said: 'Why? I use a washing machine'. She was ashamed and said: 'I'll keep it for you'. Song Dong said he later realised it was not the soap but her love it represented.

Members of the public admire the items which took two weeks to arrange after being transported to London

Dozens and dozens of pairs of shoes were collected by Song Dong's mother who hoarded her possessions Each time the artist remakes the exhibition - it has already been on display in Beijing and New York - he says memories are rekindled and personal family objects are rediscovered sparking powerful emotions about his past.

The artist initially trained in oil painting and graduated at the Fine Arts Department of Capital Normal University in Beijing in 1989.

His work has often examined the Cultural Revolution and its impact on family life.

The Waste Not slogan was drummed into the Chinese during the cultural revolution and as a result they never threw anything out



