I hope I’ve only heard about Jay Yan right now because I’m really out of the loop – his work is awesome and deserves to be known about.

I just read this great interview with him at Worldchanging. Here’s an excerpt:

I am currently trying to get my hands on a replica of the gun that shot Andy Warhol (the original is locked up at Riker Island in New York). I want to make short line of electronic toy guns that you can point at an art work and Andy Warhol, in his voice, will tell you whether it’s art or not. Thus we can have a device that will finally tell us whether something is art or not.

and here are couple of his pieces:

IWANTTORUNAWAYWITHYOU.COM

2007, video loop website

I attach a camera to my head

This girl takes my hand

I tell her to run

STEALING ART

2008, custom DVD, Performance

In an effort to popularize conceptual art videos and in typical Chinese fashion, The artist bootlegs several video art pieces being shown at a gallery and sells it to guests at the opening.

Whisper, 2005

How does it work technically?

I keep my description laconic to avoid people thinking about this question.

It works by placing speakers underneath a vase with flowers. The speaker vibrates the vase and the flower to audible frequencies. The base stand is then soundproofed to block out all sounds except those coming from the flowers. The Calla Lily flower was chosen because it’s stiff stem carried the vibrations well, and the trumpet shape of the flower amplified the sound.

Check out that interview and his website!