10 ottobre - 10 novembre 2007, London
The Haunch of Venison, 6 Haunch of Venison Yard, London, presents the exhibition by Zhang Huan “Ash”. Zhang Huan (born 1965) is one of the most vital and interesting artists working in China today. Since the early 1990s the departure point for his work has been the language of the human body, a language at times intensely autobiographical, and at other times highly politicised. Early explorations of this theme were carried out through live performance, with Zhang Huan inscribing personal and political histories directly on to his own body, as in the calligraphic work ‘Family Tree’ (2000). In recent years his practice has diversified to encompass traditional media such as painting, sculpture and printmaking, as well as ambitious large-scale installations and mixed media works. A key figure of Beijing’s ‘East Village’ scene in the 1990s, Zhang Huan came to international prominence through his radical performances, in which social and political concerns were articulated through extreme acts of physical endurance. One of his most provocative works, ‘12 Square Metres’ (1994) involved the artist painting his naked body in honey and fish oil and squatting for one hour in a public latrine while flies swarmed around him. Documented by arresting, social documentary-style photographs, the performance signified a powerful but silent protest at the filthy conditions endured by many Chinese at the time. […] Info: tel +44 0207495050 fax +44 02074954050 e-mail: info@haunchofvenison.com; www.haunchofvenison.com