Project Somerset House, London, UK
July 2,2016 5:00 pm
the courtyard of Somerset House, UK
Xu Zhen, Produced by MadeIn Company
The performance described as the first “cultural fitness exercise” ever made, Physique of Consciousness takes the form of a performance comprising movements derived from dance, gymnastics and different forms of exercise, alongside spiritual and cultural rituals.
The space is open as a social hub from 5pm – 12am and does not require booking. Performances begin at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm, each with a running time of 50 minutes.
Xu Zhen presents the first mass UK performance of the ongoing project Physique of Consciousness in the courtyard of Somerset House, in collaboration with hundreds of participants from across London.
Described as the first “cultural fitness exercise” ever made, Physique of Consciousness takes the form of a performance comprising movements derived from dance, gymnastics and different forms of exercise, alongside spiritual and cultural rituals. Physique of Consciousness, produced by MadeIn Company, plays with the history and politics of mass exercise in China, alongside ideas of health, well-being and spirituality and the industries around them that we consume today.
Xu Zhen (born 1977, China) is a conceptual artist based in China, who plays with his personal identity to address conventions of creative production, authorship and brand. Recent solo exhibitions include Kunsthaus Graz, 2015, Witte de Witte, Rotterdam, 2015, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, 2014, the Minsheng Museum, Shanghai, 2012 and Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland, 2011, alongside group exhibitions such as 14 Rooms, curated by Klaus Biesenbach and Hans Ulrich Obrist.
MadeIn Company is a contemporary art creation corporation founded by Chinese artist Xu Zhen in Shanghai in 2009. Derived from ‘Made In’, two words that refer to manufacturing (with country of origin not specified), the name also phonetically translates into Chinese for ‘without a roof’ (‘méi d ı∙ng’), thereby suggesting openness to the company’s art activities. MadeIn is organized as a creative company to produce independent artworks and exhibitions. In 2013, MadeIn Company launched the brand “Xu Zhen”.
Art Night is a new annual contemporary arts festival that transforms London for one summer night on 2 July 2016. Your ticket does not guarantee entry, however ticket holders are given priority on the evening. To ensure entry we advise that you arrive in good time.
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