Chang Hsia-fei, a Taiwanese artist based in France who specializes in transforming everyday experiences into conceptual art, put on her works in the exhibition "Les jeux sont faits. Rien ne va plus" at Association L'étend'art in Metz, France, for three months from March 13 to June 14, 2020. At the invitation of the association, Chang gave the exhibition inspired by what she saw and heard as a croupier at a casino on the Champs-Élysées. It is an installation of neon lights, carpets, Japanese taiko drums, and more, including drum performances to help highlight the intent of the piece.
"Les jeux sont faits. Rien ne va plus" is a phrase often heard in French casinos, an announcement by the croupier before dealing the cards, meaning that once a player has made the bet, the bet is set and cannot be changed or canceled. Those who go to casinos, Chang says, are often dreaming of the joy of winning and getting rich overnight. However, most, of course, leave disappointed. As such, "les jeux sont faits. Rien ne va plus" serves as a kind of mantra, reminding people that the vast majority of us need to work hard to make our livings, and that for some, fate seems to have destined them to lives of hardship. During the exhibition, Chang put on several drum performances, using the drums to symbolize hard work and the drum beats to symbolize human heartbeats.
This exhibition of Chang's was curated by Pascal Beausse, art critic and head of Photographic Collections at Centre national des arts plastiques. It also coincided with Week-end de l'art contemporain Grand Est, a contemporary art event held jointly by several cultural establishments in northeastern France. Located near the Centre Pompidou-Metz, with tour bus services, the exhibition attracted media, experts, and the public.
Location: Show-room de la Galerie, 6 rue des Trinitaires - 57000 Metz
Dates: Friday, March 13, 2020–Sept. 14, 2020