I’m Not Shuang Li

Shuang Li: I’m Not
November 20, 2024 – March 2, 2025

Shuang Li’s I’m Not is her first institutional solo exhibition, presented in partnership with the Swiss Institute. The exhibition delves into the ways language, relationships, and identities are formed and mediated through digital screens and the culture of fandom. Drawing on her personal history as an ardent fan of My Chemical Romance, Li reflects on the complexities of building connections and identities rooted in distant admiration and mediated experiences.

The exhibition features commissioned sculpture and video installations that intertwine Li’s experiences growing up in Southeast China during the rapid urbanization of the 2000s with her encounters with the band’s music. Works such as Déjà Vu (2022) document her displacement during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the fragmented nature of language and communication. The newly commissioned I’m Not (2024) reimagines My Chemical Romance’s iconic song I’m Not Okay (I Promise), blending Mandarin and English lyrics performed by an a cappella choir, paying tribute to her formative years of self-expression and discovery through music.

Through a blend of personal memory, cultural critique, and multimedia experimentation, I’m Not offers a poignant exploration of yearning, creative fantasy, and the ever-shifting nature of language and identity. The exhibition is curated by Alison Coplan, Chief Curator at Swiss Institute, and Daniel Merritt, Director of Curatorial Affairs at Aspen Art Museum.