Cai Yuan and JJ Xi (Mad For Real)

‘Monkey King Creates Havoc in the Heavenly Palace’ , 2003

A Performance/Film commissioned by Decibel/Arts Council to accompany the conference ‘A Free State’ at The British Museum.

In the year of the monkey, they enact an ancient Chinese legend, using the British Museum as a metaphor for the Heavenly Palace. They move through the galleries of ancient sculpture in the guise of monkeys symbolically creating havoc on the road to enlightenment. This relates to their recent series of performances at major London landmarks, Westminster Bridge, the Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern and Trafalgar Square.

Born in the People’s Republic of China, they have lived and worked in London since the 1980s and trained at the RCA and Goldsmiths.

Cai Yuan and JJ Xi (Mad For Real)

‘Monkey King Creates Havoc in the Heavenly Palace’, 2003