Double can mean many things. It may imply a duplicate, symmetry, a reflection, a twin, a splitting, or even a shadow self. There is an inherent duality that forms around two parts, which may or may not be in concert with one another. Austrian psychoanalyst Otto Rank was the first to describe the concept in an essay published in 1914, and Sigmund Freud ran with the idea in his 1919 book The Uncanny.
For Freud, the phenomenon illustrated how the unconscious is actually a kind of second consciousness. Scottish psychoanalyst R.D. Laing drew on this foundation in his study of schizophrenia in the book The Divided Self, which delves into the nature of “real” and “false” selves. And in a literary sense, the concept has generated enduring works of fiction, such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or Stephen King’s The Dark Half.
For Paris-based artist Xie Lei, the double inspires a new body of work in a titular solo exhibition at Musée Denys-Puech in Rodez, France. Through feather-light brushstrokes, deep shadows, and glowing hues, the artist renders spectral figures in oil paint. “What I’m trying to achieve is to transport the viewer into another world and give them the impression of diving into and participating in the painting,” Xie says.
Some canvases like “Resistance” appear to be underwater, yet also feel elemental and weightless, as if the scenes are unfolding in an alternate realm. “Double I” portrays blurry figures that could be engulfed in flames or perhaps a glowing wheat field, embracing but also possibly combating one another. Disembodied hands often reach out to grasp faces or limbs, such as in “Observance” and “Disappear II.”
Throughout Xie’s work, there is a sense of transformation, even transfiguration, as twins or reflections hover between dreams and reality. “The silent are neither entirely present nor truly absent; they are on the threshold and remain in an in-between state,” says a statement. “Contact is never a firm grip, but rather a suspended touch that preserves a slight distance.”
Double marks Xie’s receipt of the prestigious Marcel Duchamp Prize in 2025, which is awarded annually to an artist working in France, and the show runs from June 12 to October 25. He also has forthcoming solo exhibitions later this year at François Ghebaly in Los Angeles and the Song Art Museum in Beijing. See more on Instagram.
