Exhibition · Chelsea
At 47 Canal in Chelsea, NYC, Cici Wu Turns Auld Lang Syne Into Paper Lanterns
Cici Wu's "Auld Lang Syne (prelude)" runs at 47 Canal through November 7: eleven lantern sculptures of bamboo, willow and mulberry paper, a 16mm projector and ink and watercolor works touching on Korean and Japanese histories.
47 Canal is showing "Auld Lang Syne (prelude)," a solo exhibition by artist Cici Wu, from October 1 through November 7, 2026. The gallery is now located on the ground floor at 529 West 20th Street in Manhattan.
The core of the show is a group of eleven lantern sculptures built from bamboo, willow withies and mulberry paper. Woven frames covered in thin paper hold light inside, and the lantern form itself carries much of the work. A 16mm projector shares the room, so film light and lantern glow sit side by side. Wu's ink and watercolor works complete the presentation.
The subject matter draws on Korean and Japanese histories and on the song "Auld Lang Syne." In Japan the same melody is known as "Hotaru no Hikari" and is played at graduations and at store closing time, so it will be familiar to anyone who has lived there. The exhibition starts from the way one tune can carry different meanings across countries and eras.
As the title says, this is a prelude, an opening chapter of a larger project. West 20th Street sits in Chelsea's gallery district, which makes it easy to pair with other nearby exhibitions. The show closes on November 7.
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