Antenna Space
Duration: April 25 – May 25, 2014
Opening: April 25, 2014 17:00-19:00
Antenna Space is pleased to present young artist Zhan Chong’s solo exhibition Distance on April 25, 2014. Zhan Chong’s work contain not only outstanding technique but also artist’s contemplation on artificiality and the philosophical analysis on existence brought out by visual experience. The progress of Zhan Chong’s creating process attracts much attention. During the period that the artist’s creating is leading to a more stable and systematic stage, the exhibition Distance is the ramification and experimental encounter of his creating process, in which he presents a project depicting alienation and indifference.
The primary trigger for the idea Distance is The City and the Stars (1956) by Clarke (Arthur Clarke, 1917-2008, British novelist). It showed the artist ”the failure for human to conquer distance, and the psychological distance between the two types of culture (from future and the past tense of future)”. Quoting from Zhan Chong:” There have always been many ways to express distance, and this lead to some metaphysical thoughts or theories for time and space. Comparatively, I care more about the definition of distance owned by minimal substance and the image therefrom.” Meanwhile, Distance is more of an accurately immediate personal experience for the artist. In the exhibition space next to Suzhou Creek, Antenna Space, The artist noticed, “In a relatively closed space, taking a sight of the architecture across Suzhou Creek through the window, the sense of distance is different with that across a street from an open space, even if the distance is similar.” Therefore, Zhan Chong puts forward a hint to see and enter painting: between the inherent physical distance, and the subjective psychological distance, “the best way is to stay away from reality 5cm, not too close, then make relatively calm observation”. The exhibition shows part of the acrylic on wood and acrylic on canvas work the artist painted from 2013 till now, which were called Innocent-Representational Image; while some simpler objects are placed in the exhibition space or around, together they will be the artist’s “simple” imagination clips on Distance.
It is noteworthy that Zhan Chong’s project Distance is related to his reading experience. Antenna Space is going to launch a small talk before opening: Novel and Artist. We will invite artists to share the novels they read or write, and their work related to novels; Novel as a popular main-stream literature form, bearing the texture and effect quite different from other forms. The talk in the name of novel, may refer to their daily life, knowledge system, imagination, religion or else. As the prelude for Zhan Chong: Distance, we sincerely invite you to attend.
Zhan Chong was born in 1983 in Lishui, Zhejiang Province, graduated from Acedemy of Art & Design Tsinghua University. Now he lives in Beijing. His painting The Box was nominated in John Moores Painting Prize. A glimpse of his past exhibitions: Fetishism, Gallery Yang, Beijing, 2013; Up-Scale, Gallery 55s, Shanghai, 2012; anámnēsis, Mizuma & One Gallery, Beijing, 2012 etc.
