ShanghART Gallery
50 Moganshan Rd., Bldg.18-A, Shanghai
Reception: Tuesday, 4 Sept., 2007, 6-8 pm
Daily: 1-6 pm except Mondays


On Septembre 4th, 2007, ShanghART will present the video and installation exhibition "Tools" by young artist Zhang Ding, in the temporary space between the buildings 16 and 18 (H Space), in 50 Moganshan Road.

Zhang Ding is born in 1980 in Gansu, China. His past artworks mainly focus with subjective naturalism on marginal urban culture, such as people, events, objects: an old homosexual transvestite, a confused young Muslim, missing people's notices, an abandoned amusement park, a crazy man... Through the perspective of Zhang Ding, the reality's details, coexisting with booming cities but easy to ignore, are exposed: gloomy, dilapidated, chaotic, and vigorous.

"Tools" is an allegorical fairyland created by Zhang Ding to respond to this marginal world. Cactus here become the main props/tools, metaphor of a nidering and doggedly resistant life. We can see this plant anywhere, but their multiple thorns don't allow us to approach them. Zhang Ding fights against that, trying to find the possible ways of communication with this life, using violence or dialog? Cruel beating and frozen cutting don't destroy cactus as much as water, even though gentle and beautiful. Water pours from ten watering pots, lining out parabolas and hosing a cactus. Mud splatters around while the liquid spreads all over the floor. Beside this series of cactus is displayed a group of unnatural industrial products: 24 olive green refrigerators filled with loud-hailers, and an old style detonator which can trigger a deafening explosion noise, giving you a sudden feeling that you are in the world of the "Flowers of Evil".