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Yang Zhichao

Chinese performance artist (born 1963) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Yang.

Yang Zhichao (simplified Chinese: 杨志超; traditional Chinese: 楊志超; pinyin: Yáng Zhìchāo; born 1963) is a Chinese artist recognized for his provocative multi-disciplinary performance art.[1]

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Biography

Yang was born in 1963 in Gansu Province, China. He graduated from the Art Department of Northwest Normal University in 1987. He relocated to Beijing in 1998, and became increasingly engaged with themes of globalization and its impact on the human body.

Yang’s work has been noted for its comparisons of the perception and utility of the human body in different environments. For example, he observes it as a tool for labour in rural Gansu, versus an industrialised hard-drive in urban Beijing.[1] Yang uses his own body within his performance art to raise awareness of social issues, arguing that in the modern age, bodies no longer belong to people, but rather to society and the state. His performances often involve acts such as surgical procedures without anaesthesia.[2] His later works explore similar themes.[3]

Yang has exhibited in China and around the world, including the "Fuck Off (art exhibition)" show at Eastlink Gallery in Shanghai (2000), the Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou (2003), the Dadao Live Art Festival in Beijing (2004), and a China Live tour of eight major institutions in the UK organized by Beijing-based curator Shu Yang (2005).[4]

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Notable works

  • Planting Grass (2000), involved nurses inserting grass into the artist's skin without anesthesia during the Fuck Off show at the Eastlink Gallery warehouse in Shanghai.[5]
  • Iron (2000), Beijing, China, involved the artist being branded with his own identification number. [1]
  • Hide (2004) Beijing, China, explored the human body’s compatibility with nature and technology, drawing inspiration from manufactured prosthetics. Artist Ai Weiwei surgically implanted an unspecified metal object into Yang Zhichao's thigh without anesthesia,[1] and its exact nature remains unknown to him.[3]
  • China Red (2005–2006) saw Yang paint on silk using drops of blood mixed with ink and mineral pigments to reflect his experience of daily life in the countries where he performed the work (the UK & Germany). [6][7][8]
  • Chinese Bible (2009) was a collection of notebooks and diaries collected by the artist, mostly from Panjiayuan Market in Beijing. Dating from 1949 to 1999, the books contained the personal writings of generations of Chinese, which the artist used to represent the personal experiences of everyday people during a century of political upheaval.[9]
  • Love Story (2016) offers insight into intimacy by documenting Yang's relationship with his wife, Zhang Lan. Since 1996, the artist has kept a record of every time he has sex with his wife, initially using a collection of punch cards to record the time, day, and length of coitus. The work, which began as a private project, grew into an illustrated diary, including information and details of other personal events. It was released to the public on its 20th anniversary in 2016.[3]
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Solo exhibitions[10] Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)[11]

Selected group shows[10]

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External links

Profiles

Yang Zhichao has profiles on Asia Art Archive;[21] CFCCA Archive & Library;[22] artsnet;[23] artsy;[24] Ocula;[2] Li Space.[10]

Articles

  • Willcocks, Josh (2013-07-03), Body of Sedition: Yang Zhichao and Art that Hurts, The Artifice, retrieved 2021-03-07.[1]
  • Syfret, Wendy (2015-06-18), Artist Yang Zhichao Moves from Extreme Pain to Memories, Vice, retrieved 2021-03-07.
  • Yang Zhichao and Chinese Bible 2005 – 2008, Asia Art Newspaper, 2014-05-06, retrieved 2021-03-07.
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See also

References

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