Yue Minjun ‘Warriors’ Visit East Hampton’s LongHouse Reserve
Entering the LongHouse Reserve garden in East Hampton last month, The Observer was greeted by 25 identical bronze figures that smiled maniacally as they covered their ears and scrunched their eyes. Collectively titled Chinese Contemporary Warriors, they comprise a 2005 work by Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun and are the latest addition to the art-filled 16-acre arboretum.
“Every season we try to bring in four or five new pieces, or bring one site-specific installation,” LongHouse’s executive director, Matko Tomicic, said, “and this came to us as an opportunity.” The first work of Chinese contemporary art ever installed at LongHouse, it is on loan from a private collector and debuted at LongHouse’s benefit in July, installed as in the photographs. Since then it’s been moved to another location in the garden, where it officially debuted this past weekend.
Installation (Courtesy LongHouse Reserve)
