MUSEO D’ARTE
CONTEMPORANEA
VILLA CROCE
PRESS REALESE
Zhang Enli
LANDSCAPE
November 6th 2013 – January 8th 2013
Press preview: Wednesday November 6th, 11.30 am
Opening: Wednesday November 6th, 18.00 pm
PRESS OFFICE
Genova Palazzo Ducale
Fondazione per la Cultura – Ufficio Stampa
telefono +39 010 5574012/4047/4826
[email protected]
[email protected]
Villa Croce Museum presents Landscape, the first Italian exhibition of Zhang Enli (1965) conceived and realized specifically
for the museum’s rooms. Opening at the same time as the Space Painting project at the Institute of Contemporary Art in
London, the exhibition subtly blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. Zhang’s diaphanous painting brings
nature from the outside park surrounding Villa Croce right inside the museum and turns its centuries-old walls into light
paper surfaces, thereby reinventing a classical subject matter of traditional watercolor painting.
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea
di Villa Croce
via Jacopo Ruffini 3, 16128 Genova
t +39 010 580069/585772
[email protected]
Internationally acclaimed for his seemingly abstract paintings, Zhang creates captivating compositions made of everyday
objects: pipes, steel ropes, water faucets, tile walls, and tangled wires. Through the apt layering of acrylic and watercolor,
his representations of familiar elements shift the common understanding of both depth and composition. The consistent
selection of plain and featureless subjects evokes the sense of estrangement the artist experienced upon moving from his
rural province to the sprawling megalopolis of Shanghai first to study and then to live.
Unlike many contemporary Chinese artists emerged during the 1990s economic boom from movements such as ‘Political
Pop’, ‘Kitsch Art’, and ‘Cynical Realism“ who address and critique global capitalism, Zhang’s work is intimate and subtly
evocative. His paintings and site-specific interventions create a world made of familiar and trivial object that go overlooked,
a silent world vivified by unusual angles. His body of works is structured in thematic series: the containers, the cardboard
boxes, the trunks, the wire meshes. The focus on insignificant details and interior spaces is not meant as a political nor as
a metaphoric statement, on the contrary it opens up a neutral space where colors and images speak silently and make
viewers daydream.
Villa Croce inaugura un innovativo
modello di gestione pubblico-privato
grazie alla collaborazione tra il
Comune di Genova, Palazzo Ducale
Fondazione per la Cultura e un gruppo
di privati il cui supporto finanziario
permette la programmazione artistica
MAIN SPONSORS
SPONSORS
MEDIA PARTNER
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea
di Villa Croce
via Jacopo Ruffini 3, 16128 Genova
t +39 010 580069/585772
[email protected]
Zhang Enli Born in Jilin, China, 1965
Arts & Design Institute of Wuxi Technical University, China, graduated
1989. Teacher at the Arts & Design lnstitute
of Donghua University. Lives and works in Shanghai, China.
Solo Exhibitions
Group Exhibitions
2013
Museo d’Arte contemporanea di Villa Croce,
‘Landscape’, Genova, Italy
ICA, ‘Space Painting’, London, England
2013
2012
Hauser & Wirth, ‘Topology’, Zurich, Switzerland
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, ‘Metropolis:
Reflections on the Modern City’, Birmingham, England
Cafa Art Museum, ‘O’Clock. Time design. Design Time.
‘, Beijing, China
ShangART Gallery, ‘Foundational Work’, Shangai, China
2011
Hauser & Wirth, New York NY
Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2012
2010
Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Hauser & Wirth London, London, England
2009
Kunsthalle Bern, ‘Zhang Enli’, Berne, Switzerland
(Travelling Exhibition)
Ikon Gallery, ‘Zhang Enli’, Birmingham, England
(Travelling Exhibition)
2008
ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
Kochi-Muziris Biennial 2012, Kochi, India
ShanghART, ‘Place of residence’, Shanghai, China
The National Art Museum of China, ‘On Contemporary
Era – The First Chinese Oil Painting Biennial’, Beijing, China
SSCAC Suzhou, ‘People and Object – Across Memory’,
Suzhou, China
OCAT Shenzhen, ‘The Seventh Shenzhen Sculpture
Biennial – Accidental Message: Art is Not a System’,
Shenzhen, China
Minsheng Art Museum, ‘Face’, Shanghai, China
ShanghART Gallery, ‘Revitalising – A Gathering Upon
Awakening of Insects’, Shanghai, China
2007
Hauser & Wirth Zürich, ‘Zhang Enli’, Zurich,
Switzerland
2011
2005
W&B House / Buero Friedrich, ‘Zhang Enli’,
Berlin, Germany
Today Art Museum, ‘Guanxi’, Beijing, China
Instituto Paranaense de Arte, ‘The 6th Curitiba
Biennial: Beyond the Crisis’, Curitiba, Brazil
Guangdong Museum, ’Relation’, Guangdong, China
Boers-Li Gallery, ‘Breaking Away, An Abstract Art
Exhibition’, Beijing, China
2004
BizArt, ‘Human, Too Human’, Shanghai, China
2010
2000
ShanghART, ‘Dancing’, Shanghai, China
Minsheng Art Museum, ‘Thirty Years of Chinese
Contemporary Art’, Shanghai, China
Shanghart, ‘Beds’, Shanghai, China
Gwangju Biennial Hall, Gwangju Museum of Art,
’10,000 Lives. The Eight Gwangju Biennale’, Gwangju, Korea
2009
EACC – Espai d’art contemporani de Castelló,
‘5×5 Castello’, Castello, Spain
2008
7th Shanghai Biennial, ‘Translocalmotion’, Shanghai, China
ShanghART H-Space, ‘Selected’, Shanghai, China
Ke Center for the Contemporary Arts, ‘Art Multiple
2008’, Shanghai, China
Hall B ArtGallery Blackbridge, ‘Blackbridge 08’
Contemporary Art Exhibition’, Beijing, China
Museum of Contemporary Art, ‘The World of Other’s:
Villa Croce inaugura un innovativo
modello di gestione pubblico-privato
grazie alla collaborazione tra il
Comune di Genova, Palazzo Ducale
Fondazione per la Cultura e un gruppo
di privati il cui supporto finanziario
permette la programmazione artistica
MAIN SPONSORS
SPONSORS
MEDIA PARTNER
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea
di Villa Croce
via Jacopo Ruffini 3, 16128 Genova
t +39 010 580069/585772
[email protected]
A Contemporary Art Exhibition’, Shanghai, China
La Spezia Contemporary Art Museum, ‘China new vivison –
the contemporary collection of Shanghai Art Museum’, La Spezia, Italy
2007
2006
Shanghai Contemporary (special artist presentation),
Shanghai, China
ShanghART Gallery, ‘Individual Positions 1’, Shanghai,
China
Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, ‘Size
Matters – XXL – Recent Large-scale paintings’,
Peekskill NY
Royal Academy of Art, ‘Summer Exhibition 2007’,
London, England
Objectif_exhibitions, ‘Circulez! Il n’y a rien à voir’
(with Moshekwa Langa), Antwerp, Belgium
Shanghai Art Museum, ‘China’s Neo Painting’,
Shanghai, China
Galerie Patrick Seguin, ‘Galerie Patrick Seguin invites
Hauser & Wirth’, Paris, France
Kunsthalle Bern, ‘Pre-Emptive’, Berne, Switzerland
Villa Manin Centro d’Arte Contemporanea, ‘Infinite
Painting and Global Realism’, Udine, Italy
Satellite, Contemporary Art Pavilion, Shanghai, China
2005
Creek Art Center, ‘Open Road’, Shanghai, China
Hangart 7, ‘YCCA – Young Chinese Contemporary Art’,
Salzburg, Austria
ShanghART H-Space, ‘In their 40’s’, Shanghai, China
2004
Irish Museum of Modern Art, ‘Dreaming of the
Dragon’s Nation: Contemporary Art from China’,
Dublin, Ireland
EastLink Gallery, ‘Matchmaking at Suzhou Creek’,
Shanghai, China
Fabric and Accessories Museum, ‘Made in China’,
Lyon, France
Original Impress Gallery, ‘Of One’s Own Accord’,
Shanghai, China
2003
Silpakorn University Gallery, ‘Overseas’, Bangkok,
Thailand
Pingyao International Photography Festival, ‘It Is I’,
Pingyao, China
Lijiang Triangle International Workshop, Lijiang, China
Bandao Gallery, ‘Different Choice. Joint Exhibition of
Shanghai Artists Born in the Sixties’, Shanghai, China
Shenzhen Sculpture Institute, ‘China Edition’,
Shenzhen, China
Villa Croce inaugura un innovativo
modello di gestione pubblico-privato
grazie alla collaborazione tra il
Comune di Genova, Palazzo Ducale
Fondazione per la Cultura e un gruppo
di privati il cui supporto finanziario
permette la programmazione artistica
2002
BizArt, ’24.30 Contemporary Art Exhibition’,
Shanghai, China
Kunsthaus Wien, ‘Ost + West: Chinese Contemporary
Art’, Vienna, Austria
General Consulate of Switzerland, ‘Quick Look!
– Shanghai Zhejiang Jiangsu Anhui Contemporary Art
Exhibition’, Shanghai, China
2001
Shanghai, Belgiumijing / Off Triennial, ‘Poster
Exhibition of Chinese Avant-Garde’, Yokohama, Japan
Shanghai Normal University, ‘Zero Point – Chinese
Contemporary Art Exhibition’, Shanghai, China
China Art Archives & Warehouse, Opening Exhibition,
Beijing, China
1999
Art Institute of Nanjing Normal University, ’99 Nanjing
Modern Oil Painting Research Exchange Exhibition’,
Nanjing, China
Pudong World Trade Tower, ‘Global Forum –
Contemporary Art’, Shanghai, China
1997
Canvas World Art Gallery, ‘Four Men’s Work’,
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Changning District Culture Centre, ‘Figuration and
Abstraction’, Shanghai, China
Changning District Culture Centre, ‘Contemporary
Chinese Art’, Shanghai, China
Contemporary Art Gallery, ’97 Shanghai Oil Painting
Exhibition’, Shanghai, China
1995
Konsthallen Götaplatsen, ‘Change: China
Contemporary Art’, Gothenburg, Sweden
1993
Yokohama Art Museum, ‘Shanghai Modern Art
Exhibition’, Yokohama, Japan
1992
Shanghai Artists Gallery, ’92 ShaNghai Oil Painting
Exhibition’, Shanghai, China
1990
Shanghai Art Museum, ‘3rd Exhibition of Young
Shanghai Artists’ Works’, Shanghai, China
China Textile University, ‘Two Artists’ Contemporary
Art’, Shanghai, China
MAIN SPONSORS
SPONSORS
MEDIA PARTNER
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea
di Villa Croce
via Jacopo Ruffini 3, 16128 Genova
t +39 010 580069/585772
[email protected]
Bibliography
Articles
2013
Unterdörfer, Michaela (ed.), ‘Hauser & Wirth.20
Years’, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2013
2013
2011
Obrist, Hans-Ulrich, Qing, Zhang, ‘Zhang Enli’,
Shanghai: Shanghai Art Museum, 2011 (exh. cat.)
Zheng, Gu, Moore, Chris., ‘Zhang Enli’, Shanghai:
Misheng Art Museum, 2011 (exh. cat.)
2009
Obrist, Hans-Ulrich, ‘The China Interviews’, Hong
Kong/Beijing: Office for Discourse Engineering, 2009,
pp. 378-389, ill.
2008
Unterdörfer, Michaela (ed.), ‘Zhang Enli’, Gottingen:
Steidl Hauser & Wirth, 2008, ill.
Spero, Josh, ‘ The New Cultural Revolution’, in:
Christie’s International Real Estate Magazine, London
UK, March 2013, p. 21, 1/3, ill.
Chen, Tom, ‘ Video: In the Shanghai Studio of Zhang
Enli’, on:www.blouinartinfo.com, 4 April 2013, ill.
___, ‘Acquisitions’, in: Art Monthly, London, February
2013, p. 21
___, ‘Children Wow Biennale Visitors’, in: Yentha,
Online, 15 January 2013
Dhillon, Amrit, ‘Searching fort he spice of life at Kerala
Biennale, on: www.thenational.ae, 7 January 2013,
Abu Dhabi, ill.
Lacour, François, ‘Brasseur d’art’, in: MIXT, Paris,
February 2013, pp. 244 – 257, ill.
2006
Boers, Waling, ‘Touching the Stones. China Kunst
Heute’, Cologne: Walther König, 2006
Li Xu, ‘Canto in Tenebris’, Shanghai: ShanghArt, 2006
Villa Manin Centro d’Arte Contemporanea (ed.),
‘Infinite Painting. Pittura Contemporanea e Realismo
Globale – Contemporary Painting and Global Realism’,
Tolmezzo (Udine): Andrea Moro, 2006
2012
___, ‘Panels at Abu Dhabi Art’, in: Canvas Daily,
November 2010, Dubai, pp. 4, 6, 10, 14, ill.
Crow, Kelly, ‘Art’s New Pecking Order’, on:
europe.wsj.com/home-page, 13 January 2012, ill.
2011
Pollack, Barbara, ‘Zhang Enli’, in: Artnews, New york,
December 2011, p. 104, ill.
___, ‘Zhang Enli’, in: Du – Das Kulturmagazin, Special
Edition 2011, Zurich, pp. 45-56, ill.
___, ‘Galleries-Uptown. Zangh Enli’, in: The New
Yorker, New York, 17 October 2011
Lindblad, J., ‘Zhang Enli at Hauser and Wirth through
October 29, 2011’, in: Art Observed, New York, 29
September 2011, ill.
Vine, Richard, ‘Zhang Enli Explores De-Meaning’, in:
Art in America, International Review, New York, 3
October 2011, ill.
2010
___, in: Life Magazine, Harbin, April 2010, pp. 59-69, ill.
Chow, Vivienne, ‘Art fair seeks bigger toehold in global
market’, in: South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, 27
May 2010, p. C3, ill.
___, ‘Zhang Enli/ Hauser & Wirth’, in: Art Review,
London, April 2010, p. 101
___, ‘Exhbitionist: The week’s art shows in pictures.
Pipe by Zhang Enli’, on: guardian.co.uk, London, 8
January 2010, ill.
___, ‘Zhang Enli’, in: The FT Weekend, London, 9
January 2010
Sherwin, Skye, ‘Zhang Enli’, in: The Guardian Guide,
London, 9 January 2010
___, ‘Zhang Enli: First London Solo Show’, in: Free Art
London List, London, 12 January 2010
___, ‘Zhang Enli’, in: Financial Times, London, 20
2004
Dematté, Monica, Boyi, Feng, Qi, Yule, ‘Human, Too
Human’, Shanghai: ShanghArt, 2004
Irish Museum of Modern Art Dublin (ed.), ‘Dreaming
of the Dragon’s Nation. Contemporary Art Exhibitions
from China’, Dublin, 2004
Villa Croce inaugura un innovativo
modello di gestione pubblico-privato
grazie alla collaborazione tra il
Comune di Genova, Palazzo Ducale
Fondazione per la Cultura e un gruppo
di privati il cui supporto finanziario
permette la programmazione artistica
MAIN SPONSORS
SPONSORS
MEDIA PARTNER
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea
di Villa Croce
via Jacopo Ruffini 3, 16128 Genova
t +39 010 580069/585772
[email protected]
___, ‘Hauser & Wirth Zürich’, in: Handelszeitung,
Zurich, 17 January 2007, p. 47
Schaffter-Wieland, Isolde, ‘Blick fürs Gewöhnliche’,
in: Schweizer Illustrierte, Zurich, no. 3, 15 January
2007, p. 77, ill.
February 2010
Maya, ‘Daily Life: Zhang Enli’s New Works’, in: Art
China, Shanghai, February/March 2010, pp. 22-26, ill.
2009
___, ‘Zhang Enli’, in: Culturecritic, London, 11
December 2009, ill.
___, ‘Hauser & Wirth announces first Solo Exhibition
in London for Zhang Enli’, on: artdaily.org, Madrid, 16
November 2009, ill.
Reust, Hans Rudolf, ‘Zhang Enli, Kunsthalle Bern’, in:
Artforum, New York NY, October 2009, p. 258, ill.
von Tienhoven, Ronald, ‘San Simon’, in: Mister Motley,
no. 22, Amsterdam, June 2009, pp. 71-78, ill.
___, ‘Zhang Enli in der Kunsthalle Bern’, on: art–in.de,
June 2009, ill.
gm., ‘Landkarte der Abwesenheit’, in: NZZ am
Sonntag, Zurich, 28 June 2009, p. 51, ill.
Henkes, Alice, ‘Sozialkritische Stilleben’, in: Der Bund,
Kultur, Berne 29 May 2009, ill.
___, ‘Zhang Enli’, in: What’s On, Birmingham, March
2009, p. 39, ill.
___, ‘out & about: Zhang Enli’, in: The Mix,
Brindleyplace, February – April 2009, ill.
___, ‘Zhang Enli’, in: What’s On, Birmingham,
February 2009, p. 41
Burrows, Wayne, ‘Art Review: Zhang Enli’, in: Metro,
London, 20 February 2009, p. 29, ill.
Clark, Robert, ‘Zhang Enli/Armando Andrade Tudela’,
in: The Guardian, The Guide section, London, 7
February 2009, p. 38, ill.
Clarke, Paul, ‘Zhang Enli and Armando Andrade
Tudela’, in: Metro, London, 4 February 2009, p. 23, ill.
___, ‘Birmingham: Zhang Enli / Armando Andrade
Tudela’, in: Art Newspaper, London, February 2009
2008
Qing, Zang, ‘Zhang Enli’, in: Kunstforum, Cologne,
November/December 2008, p. 333, ill.
Dematté, Monica, ‘Human, Too Human: The Paintings
of Zhang Enli’, in: Yishu. Journal of Contemporary
Chinese Art, Taipei, vol. 7, no. 5, September 2008, pp.
62-71
2007
___, ‘Tour d’Horizon durch Bildwelten’, in: Der
Zürcher Oberländer, Zurich, 10 February 2007
Villa Croce inaugura un innovativo
modello di gestione pubblico-privato
grazie alla collaborazione tra il
Comune di Genova, Palazzo Ducale
Fondazione per la Cultura e un gruppo
di privati il cui supporto finanziario
permette la programmazione artistica
2006
Bachofen, Katrin, ‘Hauser & Wirth Zürich’, in:
Handelszeitung, Zurich, no. 3, 17-23 Januar 2007,
p. 47, ill.
Wang, Lili, ‘Zhang Enli’, in: YangCheng Evening Daily,
Guang Zhou, 2006
Kainberger, Hedwig, ‘Chinesen sind gekommen’, in:
Salzburger Nachrichten, Salzburg, 21 October 2006,
p. unknown
Xu, Li, ‘Canto in Tenebris’, on:
www.shanghartgallery.com, 2006
2005
Bernet, Marion, ‘Kunstmarkt 05. Die Entdeckung
Chinas’, in: Navigator Kunst, 2005
Gross, Roland, ‘Kunst und Überflieger. Red bull gibt
jetzt auch dem Kunstmarkt Flügel’, in: Die Welt, Berlin,
10 December 2005
Herzog, Samuel, ‘Viel Flügel’, in: Neue Zürcher
Zeitung, Zurich, 30 November 2005
2004
Boyi, Feng, ‘Loudness of cities or towns’, on:
www.shanghartgallery.com, 2004
2000
Zi, Dao, ‘Zhang Enli: The Poetic Criticism of Meat’, on:
www.shanghartgallery.com, 2000
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