ICA Theatre: 12 – 25 October 2015
Music programmed in association with NTS Radio
This autumn the ICA, London, will collaborate with K11 Art Foundation, to present the first solo UK institutional exhibition of Chinese artist Zhang Ding, entitled Enter the Dragon.
The exhibition will consist of an installation that directly references the final scene from the seminal Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon (1973). Considered to be one of the greatest Chinese martial arts films of all time, it was the first to have been produced by a major Hollywood studio under the guidance of Lee, whose contribution to the production of the film and script was extensive. Lee identified the film as a vehicle to illustrate his understanding of Far-Eastern philosophies to Western audiences. It proved to be his final film appearance before his premature death.
Zhang Ding will transform the ICA theatre into a ‘mutating sound sculpture’, covering the room with mirrored surfaces, suspended sound panels and a series of rotating mirrored sculptures situated next to two identical music stages. For the duration of the exhibition there will be a series of daily performances, consisting of invited artists and open submissions (please see information below) drawn from a variety of musical genres, selected by Zhang Ding in association with NTS Radio. The performances will seek to activate the installation to create a platform for co-operative improvisation, experimentation and self-reflection.
This is the first time K11 Art Foundation has collaborated with an institution in the UK and Founder and Honorary Chairman, Adrian Cheng and ICA Executive Director Gregor Muir are keen to foster cultural exchange between the international arts centres of London and Hong Kong/China.
K11 Art Foundation has embarked upon other international collaborations in Europe in its mission to support the development of Chinese contemporary art on the international art stage. Amongst them are the Palais de Tokyo, Centre Georges Pompidou and Musee Marmottan in Paris, and also the Armory Show in New York. As well as supporting Chinese artists internationally, K11 Art Foundation also aims to foster an appreciation of international arts and culture within China, bringing a diverse range of exhibitions and programmes to their numerous spaces. For example, the collaboration with Musee Marmottan led to Shanghai K11 Art Mall staging an exhibition of Claude Monet and the forthcoming ‘Media – Dalí’ exhibition with Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation which is to open in early November 2015.
In March this year, the ICA staged their first off site exhibition in Asia – ICA Off-Site: Hong Kongese, which showcased a range of international and local artists. Following the success of the Off-Site programming the ICA looks forward to working together with the K11 Art Foundation ahead of this exhibition of new work by Zhang Ding in London.
To coincide with the exhibition of Zhang Ding, Enter the Dragon, Frieze ICA Bar will be open Mon 12 – Fri 16 Oct 2015, 7pm – 1am, supported by K11 Art Foundation.
Editor’s Notes
About Zhang Ding
Zhang Ding was born in 1980 in Gansu, China. He resides and works in Shanghai. Zhang Ding’s practice is mainly presented through his solo projects, which includes video, installations, paintings and live performance,etc. His works play on ideas of sensory perception and will, constructing absurd scenes full of contrast, often creating metaphors layered with societal references. That may be seen as a series of deconstructed mise en scenes, or as an environmental sculpture of twisting and merging emotional atomsphere. Recent exhibitions include: Zhang Ding: Orbit of Rock, ShanghART, Beijing, China (2014); Orbit: Zhang Ding Solo Project, The Armory Show, Focus Section, New York, U.S.A. (2014); Gold & Silver, Zhang Ding Solo Exhibition, Galerie Krinzinger, Wien, Austria (2013); Meanwhile… Suddenly, and Then, the Biennale of Lyon, Lyon, France (2013); Perspectives 180 – Unfinished Country: New Video from China, The Contemporary Art Museum in Houston, U.S.A. (2012).
About the ICA
The ICA supports radical art and culture. Through a vibrant programme of exhibitions, films, events, talks and debates, the ICA challenges perceived notions and stimulates debate, experimentation, creativity and exchange with visitors. Founded in 1946 by a group of artists, collectors and critics including Roland Penrose, Peter Watson and Herbert Read, the ICA continues to support artists in showing and exploring their work, often as it emerges and before others. The ICA has been at the forefront of cultural experimentation since its formation and has presented important debut solo shows by artists including Damien Hirst, Mary Kelly, Steve McQueen, Richard Prince, Fiona Rae and Luc Tuymans. More recently Tauba Auerbach, Lutz Bacher, Neïl Beloufa, Bernadette Corporation, Pablo Bronstein, Zhang Enli, Lis Rhodes, Bjarne Melgaard, Hito Steyerl and Juergen Teller have all staged key solo exhibitions, whilst a new generation of artists, including Lucky PDF, Simon Denny, Luke Fowler, Hannah Sawtell and Factory Floor have taken part in exhibitions and residencies. Recent collaborations include BookMarc & Louis Vuitton Maison Librarie as part of Room&Book, a three day art book fair; Russian menswear designer Gosha Rubchinskiy for a Culture Now talk and book signing; as well as numerous talks and presentations by talents including Sleaford Mods and Nick Knight. As part of the NTS interdisciplinary series the ICA has also played host to Arca & Jesse Kanda and

Cottweiler (SS15) with a soundscape by FKA Twigs. The ICA was one of the first venues to present The Clash and The Smiths, as well as bands such as Throbbing Gristle. The inaugural ICA / LUX Biennial of Moving Images was launched in 2012, and the ICA Cinema continues to screen artists’ film, support independent releases and partner with leading film festivals. The ICA has recently developed an ambitious Off-Site programme starting with a display of BMW Art Cars in a multi- storey car park as part of the London 2012 Festival. Thereafter, the ICA supported presentations at Glastonbury Festival and Latitude, as well as an outdoor film season ‘Cinema on The Steps: Contemporary Middle Eastern Film’. Taking place at The Old Selfridges Hotel, ‘A Journey Through London Subculture: 1980s to Now’ was followed by a project with Art on the Underground and its Canary Wharf Screen. In 2014 collaborations include Comme des Garçons with an off-site exhibition at Dover Street Market, which is the where the ICA was originally based between 1950 – 1968 and The Old Selfridges Hotel in autumn for a week of live events to coincide with Frieze including performances with New York-based artist Korakrit Arunanondchai and Berlin-based artist Isabel Lewis. The ICA welcomes over 400,000 visitors a year to its home on The Mall in the heart of London. The Director of the ICA is writer and curator Gregor Muir, author of ‘Lucky Kunst’. ica.org.uk
About K11 Art Foundation
Founded by Adrian Cheng in 2010, the K11 Art Foundation (KAF) is a registered not-for-profit organisation, which supports the development of Chinese contemporary art from Greater China by providing a creative platform that nurtures artistic talents and brings them to the international stage, also while serving as an incubator for young Chinese curators. The foundation has embarked on many international collaborations amongst them the Palais de Tokyo and Musée Marmottan in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Armory Show in New York, to showcase Chinese talents and the voice of the young generation. With 11 studios for its artist-in-residence programmes in the K11 Art Village in Wuhan, KAF serves as the unique incubating springboard for young and emerging contemporary Chinese artists to create new and meaningful works. Beyond traditional art spaces, K11 Art Village serves as innovative exchange platforms between local and international artists. Through research, initiatives and partnerships, the K11 Art Foundation offers to the Chinese public a diverse range of programmes and exhibitions fostering appreciation of arts and culture. k11artfoundation.org
About NTS
NTS is a family of like-minded and passionate individuals, dedicated to supporting exciting music and culture through online radio and events. It provides musicians and DJs with a unique platform and the facilities to nurture and showcase their talents. Its approach is to offer all music enthusiasts the chance to express their passions, inspirations and obsessions, no matter how niche or personal they may be. NTS uncovers the best of the musical past, celebrates the present and cultivates the future of the underground music scene, and prides itself on being open-minded and experimental. Sprung from a desire to create a local radio station for global audiences, NTS brings together a community of progressive, imaginative individuals and fervent music fans. It has fast established itself as one of the internet’s most influential platforms for new and old music. With a highly respected roster of DJs, the NTS studio has also had some of the biggest names in music play special guest shows. NTS is one of the most listened to independent online radio stations in the world, with the ability to remotely broadcast from any location at any time. NTS also curates and produces its own music events; small intimate live gigs, stages at world renowned festivals and long term curation partnerships with major art institutions. ntslive.co.uk
