This work is to explore the static performance of memory in dynamic time. My friend is the protagonist in the photo, and what is recorded is a conversation between me and her about memory. This is the memory of a conversation between me and her from my viewpoint, the expression and documentation of the memory in the present time. For her, it is the experience she recalled in the past, and the memories that happened in the past are recorded through her facial expressions. The feelings you have when you see this work are memories that happened in the future.
Duan, JX. (2021) I think what I think [oil painting].
150 x 140 cm
Camberwell, London
Sort of images of work in a gallery situation
Balance and contradiction: in conversation with Xu Zhen
PJ: The most recent work in the exhibition is “Hello” (2018–19), a monumental Greek column that seems to have come alive, taking on the aspect of a serpent that follows visitors around the gallery space with its persistent stare. Does this work reflect the way in which cultures interact and affect one another?
XZ: Under globalization, sometimes we believe that tradition is an issue and sometimes we believe that the future is an issue. Here, I’ve used a traditional thing and renewed it in some way. It also has a threatening aspect, like the imperial civilizations in the Greek tradition, of a power system over you, a bit like a shadow. It’s interesting because, in the West, such columns would be used in official buildings such as courthouses and banks, whereas they most often appear in front of public baths in China, or places where you can sing karaoke.
XU ZHEN® Spread b-041 2010, synthetic fabrics, cotton, faux fur. White Rabbit Collection, Sydney. Image courtesy the artist and White Rabbit Collection, Sydney © the artist
PJ: Many of your works walk a line between humour and darkness, between hope and threat. What draws you to this way of making?
XZ: Perhaps it’s related to my own temperament. When I create a work, I’m always trying to find some kind of contradiction. I don’t like it to be completely white or black. When people look at my works, they sometimes try to find the black part or the white part. Through that, there’s a kind of democratic aspect, a kind of balance you can find in it. After creating work for twenty years, I wonder if it might also be related to the Chinese tradition of the yin and yang. While my work might appear direct, when you really try to understand it, I hope the meaning becomes a bit more blurry in the end.
XU ZHEN® “Hello” 2018–2019, robotic mechanisms, styrofoam, polyurethane foam, silicone paint, sensors, electronic controls. White Rabbit Collection, Sydney © the artist