Chasing the MacGuffin
2025.11.13 - 2025.11.18
Artist: Ni Hao
Curator: Wang Haoyang
What exactly are we looking at? It's unclear, yet every figure in the painting seems to be holding it, gathering around it — while viewers outside the frame are left wondering.
So what is it, after all? It is the MacGuffin.
And what is a MacGuffin? It can be anything one desires.
This exhibition continues from Ni Hao's 2023 solo project "Roaming in the Paracosm". Compared with the earlier works, the pieces in this show are more tightly organized around thematic series, drawing frequently from film, history, and science fiction. The artist extends the concept of "ego-attachment" explored previously, projecting it into cinematic and literary contexts. Through unrestrained, fluid brushwork, he conveys his subjects' fervent pursuit of self-realization. Much like the "MacGuffin" in film — it is what everyone is chasing, which may not be a tangible object, but an idea, a belief.
A MacGuffin is an object that drives the plot precisely because it is desired.
Looking back at the earlier "Ego-Attachment" series, the artist drew inspiration from the Buddhist concept of "ātma-grāha." Buddhism teaches that ego-attachment is the root of suffering—an excessive focus on the self gives rise to endless desires, and desire inevitably leads to the pain of unfulfillment. Through reflection, Ni Hao offers a new interpretation: ego-attachment may seem paradoxical, yet it is often this very obsession latent within an individual that drives them to succeed. "My work seeks to capture that luminous moment." Take, for example, Su Shi, the protagonist in The Gay Genius . One of the greatest literati of the Northern Song dynasty, Su Shi was a man of compassion and deep connections to Buddhism. The recurring wheel on the left side of the painting symbolizes a life of wandering; beside him stands a monk. As a young talent undeterred by glory or hardship, Su Shi remained true to himself, observing the world with an open mind and finding meaning in the ordinary—thus opening new aesthetic possibilities for generations to come. Just as Ni Hao’s works suggest: the beliefs and obsessions people hold may not always lead to conventional success, yet they manifest the very meaning of self-worth.
Ni Hao's compositions and his portrayal of "ego-attachment" are mutually reinforcing. In Crabbing , he turns his attention to those who risk their lives fishing for crab in the waters of Alaska. The piece captures the crabbers working aboard a deep-sea vessel—a profession that demands working under extreme and dangerous conditions. Intense focus and persistence are essential; a moment's lapse could be fatal. The fluorescent figure on the left is a crabber working against the icy waves. The recurring bright oranges and yellows represent the high-visibility gear worn in harsh weather. Through precise depiction of the fishermen and a composition that layers inverted and overlapping figures, the artist constructs a powerful group portrait, quietly calling attention to social realities: everyday life can be a high-stakes struggle, where survival depends on perseverance and resolve.
Ni Hao's works are like flashes of memory across multiple dimensions. "Cinema has deeply influenced me,"he notes. "Even the greatest films eventually condense into a few key scenes in the viewer's mind. Later, in certain situations, those scenes may resurface—reminding us of the choices a character once made. The MacGuffin from memory reappears—captured on canvas through fluid strokes, then rearranged and retold from a new perspective.
The MacGuffin in film echoes the public's enthusiasm for discussing contemporary art. What do the juxtaposed symbols in Ni Hao's paintings truly represent? His works embrace multiple interpretations—they can be understood differently across cultures and contexts. Rather than treating them as mere paintings, one might see them as vessels carrying cultural pheromones. Hegel argued that the value of art lies not in giving pleasure, but in deepening our understanding of the world and ourselves. True art, in all its diversity, celebrates human freedom—inspiring inner liberty, serenity, and joy, even in the face of adversity.
