Zhang Dings’s most recent film “Great Era” (2007) is a surrealistic Fellini-inspired voyage using Shanghai as its theatrical backdrop. The protagonist rides along staged tableaus with his bike (disguised as a horse) in scenes perfectly synchronized with the film’s sound score.
ZHANG Ding once commented: "Someone is lost in big cities, someone is looking for them in big cities and a person is recording the way of this search in big cities." Starting from Shanghai as its background, Great Era unfolded the narration in a surrealistic fashion overflowing with Chinese taste. Velvet curtain went up and the video began. Leading actor showed up, like a lonely hero, wheeling a bicycle into an urban wasteland and then disappeared in dark night. Ballroom dancing being both merry and cold, bath tub holding greeny water and booths standing along the empty street, the solitary hero rode a horse-headed bicycle, wandering around the city in a poetic pace. At this very moment, the identities of those missing, those searching and those viewing all flowed in one.
ZHANG Ding has held solo exhibitions Tools, Law and Opening respectively during September 4th to 30th in 2007, August 29th to November 5th in 2009 and May 21st to July 20th in 2011 in ShanghART Gallery H-Space. Besides, artist also participated in China Power Station - Part II in Oslo, Norway between September 8th and December 2nd in 2007 and China Power Station - Part 4 in Turin, Italy between November 7th in 2010 and February 27th in 2011.
The exhibitions that displayed Great Era included Big City in Shanghai, Artissima Cinema: Shanghype! Portrait of the City from Dawn to Dusk in Italy and Building Code Violations Ⅱ in Beijing.
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