Who Is the Loveliest Guy (2014) shows naval officers dressed in immaculate white during a roller coaster ride. Song Ta captures this absurd and humorously staged situation with three video cameras and on-ride photographs, which are typical for amusement parks. The results undermine the stereotypical images of political and military power presentation.

The three-channel video installation Who Is the Loveliest Guy is inspired by the essay Who Are the Most Beloved People? (1951) by Chinese journalist Wei Wei. The Essay is a very benevolent portrayal of soldiers from China‘s People‘s Volunteer Army during the Korean War.
Do the naval officers stay true to their brave and heroic image during the fast ride?
In the close-ups of the video and the automatically generated on-ride photographs from the roller coaster camera one can not only check their facial expressions for tension and fear, furthermore it can be discussed who might be the prettiest of them.

Song Tas works combine a humorous and playful approach with a serious concern. He uses informal, comedic means to stimulate new ways of thinking for established institutions, knowledge systems and power structures. Based on everyday observations of the social reality surrounding him, Song Ta incorporates
political discourses and symbols into his works in order to subtly undermine the existing social order and political power.

Song Ta (*1988, Leizhou, Guangdong, CHN) studied visual arts at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. His works have been shown at the Julia Stoschek Collection Foundation, Düsseldorf, the New Museum, New York, the Para Site Art Space, Hong Kong, the Guangdong Times Art Museum, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing and the Marres, Huis voor Hedendaagse Cultuur, Maastricht and at Shenzhen Sculpture Biennale. He lives and works in Guangzhou.