P1510407
Upon entering the venue, I was greeted by a mountain of stacked shipping containers
P1510434
Without the colorful shipping containers, the exhibition would have been almost black and white
P1510444
A fantastical sea serpent carrying containers flies up and down
P1510485
Does the Chinese text 'Beware of Electric Shock' on the suspended container crane carry any hidden meaning?
P1510492
The Grand Palais Monumental exhibitions are always quite dramatic
P1510495
A giant sea serpent skeleton coils around the entire venue
P1510497
. The sea serpent symbolizes invisible evil
P1510493
Napoleon's black hat signifies absolute power
P1510508
The dramatic 'Empire' monumental exhibition tells a story of human greed and the corruption of power

Text and photos / Chen Chi-Hsiang Location: Grand Palais, Paris Dates: May 8 – June 18 The biennial Monumenta exhibition (previously annual) is the grandest contemporary art show in Paris or France. Held annually at the Grand Palais, France’s world showcase, it occupies a magnificent transparent glass space of 13,500 square meters and 35 meters high, currently the world’s largest and most beautiful art venue. Launched in 2007, the seventh artist featured this year is Huang Young Ping, the first Chinese artist residing in Paris to exhibit here; all works were custom-built for the space. Born in Xiamen in 1954, Huang came to Paris in 1989 for the “Earth Magicians” exhibition. Coinciding with the Tian