Info
- Dates: 29.09.23 – 06.01.23
- Where: Galleria Continua (Paris)
- Price: free
“Migrations will create a population of the ‘culturally homeless’. Double exile will become a widespread condition: no real roots, no real belonging to the new culture. How can I reinvigorate my original culture and develop my sense of belonging to a new culture in the context of globalisation? I live in a constant state of recontextualisation”.
– Chen Zhen
This impactful quote recaps the life and artistic journey of Chen Zhen, the Chinese-French painter passed away in 2000. Through his art, Zhen invites the audience to reflect on enduring themes in our modern society – immigration, assimilation of a new culture, the relationship between nature and human artifice, and globalisation’s impact on traditions.
The exhibition organised by Galleria Continua provides a comprehensive and captivating overview of Chen Zhen’s oeuvre. Spanning his early years, marked by a significant journey to Tibet, to the artworks produced after his relocation to France, and culminating in his final creations, the exhibition unfolds the varied career of the artist. The theme of the exhibition, Double Exil, is particularly relevant, as it not only echoes the artist’s personal narrative but also the city where these works are presented, Paris, where Zhen settled in 1986 after discovering an incurable illness.
Occupying each floor of the gallery, the exhibition organically divides its artworks, grouping them not merely by theme but by the artist’s intended message. The basement presents also a special video interview between Zhen and the famous curator Hans Ulrich Obrist.
The gallery’s unique space, with its raw and urban architecture, aligns with the exhibitions’ exploration of contemporary society. The pieces are well highlighted, despite the varying dimensions of some installations, and each finds its own space. Most of the artworks are accompanied by well-descriptive texts, enhancing the viewer’s understanding.
On the second floor, two particularly powerful installations captivate the viewer. Sans Titre, an installation made posthumously – following the artist’s directives and sketches – is a work that still results extremely actual, encouraging reflections about the contradictory relations between the Western and Eastern world, particularly China.
The last room is entirely occupied by Purification Room, the artist’s last significant installation. The viewer faces himself in front of a room entirely covered by clay. The room, entirely enveloped in clay, freezes everyday objects in a moment. Standing in front of the space, the viewer is immersed in a contemplative and silent atmosphere, which in the idea of Zhen should encourage to embark on a path of meditation and purification.
My personal highlights:
- Sans Titre (2015)
- Purification Room (2000)
- La désinfection (1997)
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