"Hope Tunnel." Zhang Huan. 2010. Photo courtesy of Christelle Maureau
The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing is actively an available space for emerging artists in the Chinese cultural scene. The non-profit, comprehensive art center has established itself as a trusted platform and sharing space for education and research. Currently, its Big Hall features Zhang Huan’s exhibit entitled, Hope Tunnel.
The 45-year-old Chinese artist, Zhang Huan has developed his craft into respected and provocative art. Since his education at the Nan University in Kai Feng and at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, Huan has lived in New York City, and is currently based in Shanghai. His past performative art like To Raise the Water Level of a Fishpond (1997) and To Add One Meter to an Anonymous Mountain (1995) has spoken to political and religious ends through the body as communicator. While the bulk of the artist’s work lies in performance, he also realizes his ideas through sculpture and photography. For the UCCA show, Huan created an exhibition addressing the power of mother nature, the fragility of human lives, and the importance of remembrance.
Hope Tunnel is composed of train fragments that crashed during the 2008 earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan Provence. Accompanying the installation is a documentary recounting the train’s travels from Xi’an through Shanghai and finally to Beijing. The Great Sichuan Earthquake occurred on May 12, 2008, killing at least 68,000 people, injuring 374,000, and leaving 4.8 million homeless. The aftershocks of the tragic loss are still felt by the Chinese people. The train’s ruins spaced the length of the Big Hall symbolize those intense ramifications. Zhang Huan makes the audience aware of the earthquake’s massive damage, the lives that were lost, and the dedication needed to properly reconstruct. It acts as a bold reminder of the very recent past.
Hope Tunnel will be on view at UCCA through October 24, 2010.
"Hope Tunnel." Zhang Huan. 2010. Photo courtesy of Christelle Maureau
"Hope Tunnel." Zhang Huan. 2010. Photo courtesy of Christelle Maureau
