‘Waste Not: For an everyday object to become a work of art, it is necessary for it to embody meaning, so even the most common things and image could be attributed with artistic value.’— Wu Hong
UMoCA (Under Museum of Contemporary Art):
Everything Is Museum No.2
2001
Permanent museum created in September 2001 under St. Francis Bridge, Colle
di Val d’Elsa, Tuscany
Commissioned by Assoziacione Arte Continua for Arte all’Arte 6
Collection of the City of Colle di Val d’Elsa
Stage
2006
Site specific project
Teenager Teenager
2011
Simulation of sculpture, sofa, simulation of stone
Ed. 3
If seeing is not an option
2013
Project video
12 actors, blindfolds, Table, Ak-47, guns
7’ 48’’
Ed. 6
Object
2003
video 6’ 25’’
Ed. 7
One by One
2003
video 3’
Ed. 7
Qilian Range – 04
2014
Single-channel, silent color video
10’23’’
Ed. 5 + 1 AP
Leftover material from the Carpenters
2009
resin, acrylic
variable dimension
unique work
Qilian Range – 16
2016
Pigment drawing
5 pieces 77 x 107 cm each; 30,3 x 42 inch each
2 pieces 77 x 214 each; 30,3 x 84,2 inch each
unique work
2009-05-02
2009
5 wooden panels, red paint
200 x 109 cm each; 78,7 x 42,9 inch each
unique work
2006-09-02
2006
marble, metal ware, 9 framed photographs
diptych 73 x 73 cm each; 28,7 x 28,7 inch | Base: 50 x 50 x 85 h cm; 19,7 x 19,7 x 33,5 inch
Ed. 10 + 2 AP
2006-09-02
2006
Installation. 5 tons of apples, plaster walls,
bulldozer
variable dimensions
unique work
2007-01-13
2007
photo diptych, marble column, cast iron vase
diptych: 125 x 151 cm each; 49,2 x 59,5 inch
column: 50 x 50 x 85 h cm; 19,7 x 19,7 x 33,5 inch
vase: Ø 80 x 75 h cm; Ø 31,5 x 29,5 h inch | 47 x 47 cm base; 18,5 x 18,5 inch
Ed. 10
Imaginary Geography
2017
ink on paper and canvas
244 x 366 cm
96 x 144 inch
unique work
Map of Mythology
2019
Chinese ink on paper
245 x 125 cm
96,5 x 49,2 inch
unique work
Racing Against Time
2016
exhibition views
Galleria Continua San Gimignano
All Living Things series: Man with destiny -
out of border
2016
ink on paper and canvas
146 x 183 cm
57,5 x 72 inch
unique work
Lands-Objectscape
1995
Metal, glass, earth, objects, neon, red acrylic
paint
100 x 110 x 30 cm
39,4 x 43,3 x 11,8 inch
unique work
Sans titre
2000
Candles and wood
48 x 30 x 25 cm
18,9 x 11,8 x 9,8 inch
unique work
Instrument musical
1996
Wood, Chinese chamber pots, metal, sound system
68 x 121 x 45 cm
26,7 x 47,6 x 17,7 inch
unique work
Can’t Help Myself
2016
KUKA industrial robot, stainless steel and rubber, cellulose ether
in colored water, lighting grid with visual-recognition sensors,
acrylic wall with aluminum frame
Ed. 2/3
Impressions of Stage One
2006
gunpowder on paper, backed on wood panel
77 x 230 cm
30,3 x 90,5 inch
unique work
A persimmon
1999
video
5’
Qilian Range – 11
2015
Inkjet color print
30 pieces: 88 x 110 cm each; 34,6 x 43,3 inch
Ed. 3 + 1 AP
2007-01-13
2007
Installation
bananas, cast iron, marble
variable dimensions
unique work
Map of China - Arabia
2019
ink on paper
370 x 880 cm
145,66 x 346,45 in
unique work
Crystal Landscape of Inner Body
(Coq)
2000
Crystal, metal, glass
95 x 190 x 70 cm
37,4 x 74,8 x 27,6 inch
unique work
Since the late seventies, many Chinese artists have experimented with the use of various materials in their artistic work, demonstrating their belonging to a specific era and culture, transforming common objects from everyday life into installations and sculptures. These artists have used old humble everyday objects, obtaining sculptures, often autobiographical, belonging to a specific historical period.
In their practice they've used children’s toys and organic objects such as fruit and meat, they've reused railway sleepers to build conceptual temples, fireworks to convert them into paintings, or construction materials to make hypnotic videos, and they've revised the ancient theory of furniture-making to bring them back into the contemporary world, demonstrating their complexity, richness and consistency.
The need to explore the creative power of materials continues to exist strongly in the lives of artists like: Chen Zhen, Qiu Zhijie, Gu Dexin, Zhuang Hui, Sun Yuan & Peng Yu, Kan Xuan and Cai Guo-Qiang.
