Arrow Factory is very pleased to present The Night Watch, an act of creative repurposing by the newly formed Lanji Property Management Art Collective. In this new installation, all of the unwieldy contents of the Arrow Factory space, formerly hidden behind an austere white wall, are now exposed en masse to all. Re-organizing the items into specific groupings, the composition highlights the formal qualities of the contents and their careful placement draws attention to the objects’ relationship to each other. While the items occupy the unlit space, makeshift searchlights scan the room endlessly from one side to another, a continuous drift reminiscent of security guards making their rounds at night – scanning, but not necessarily seeing.

The title, The Night Watch references Rembrandt's monumental 1642 painting of the same name depicting a decorated militia group moving on after a victory. Rembrandt's work is best known for its use of light, shadow and an innovative perception of motion. The painting is also known for generating a highly unfavorable reaction from the public, leading to Rembrandt’s eventual downfall and bankruptcy, as well as signaling the downturn of the Dutch Golden Age of painting.

The Lanji Property Management Company Art Collective (兰基物业艺术小组) formed in 2017. This is their first official collaboration.