shikun zhu transforms black and white balloons into poetic artistic endeavors
SH ALL WE TALK is outside artwork set up created by artist Shikun Zhu for Porsche China. Conceived in 2017 and realized in Kuqa-Baicheng, Xinjiang in September 2023, the undertaking explores how photographs and visible representations affect our notion and understanding of the pure world by way of black and white. balloons floating on a desert background. By means of this poetic and surreal composition, Zhu additionally seeks people to open their minds and senses to interact in a honest dialog with the essence of nature.
All photographs courtesy of Shikhun Zhu
the inspiration behind all the things we speak about
'The inspiration for this art work got here from a visit I took alone in the US in 2014. On the time, I used to be driving alone on the “Loneliest Highway in America”, often known as Freeway 50 in Nevada. It was totally different from what I anticipated: as a substitute of a barren desert, the environment regarded like an enormous expanse, extra just like the Gobi, with distant and steady mountain ranges that weren’t simply captured by a digital camera. On this gorgeous panorama I had an idea, which I outlined as “tamed nature”. I finished my automobile alongside the street to stretch my legs, inside 15 seconds I immediately felt the immensity of the world that would not be captured by a digital camera, and this immensity redefined my very own sense of scale as a person. Nature known as me and I engaged in a silent however sincere dialogue along with her and myself. At the moment I wished to convey this genuine expertise of nature to a wider viewers, which led to the creation of this set up. shares Shikun Zhu.
SH ALL WE TALK is a collaboration with Porsche China
Primarily based on his personal phrases, SH ALL WE TALK displays how trendy society has turn into so accustomed to evaluating issues, together with nature, by way of photographs on screens. For instance, persons are drawn to standard picture spots and sights, however typically overlook the intangible elements of nature that a digital camera can’t seize, comparable to scale, temperature, humidity, daylight, wind, odor, and so forth. . All of those are integral elements of the authentically ambient expertise, however are filtered as a result of flatness of a picture as a medium. This impression is coupled with our obsession with producing stunning photographs as a substitute of dealing with the “darkish facet” of nature.
inviting contemplation in regards to the pure world
The art work prominently options balloons, with which the artist had a selected fascination, as they in some ways function a metaphor for people:the will to drift within the sky whereas consistently held again by gravity, stuffed with contradictions. They possess a fragility that may burst with a single contact, but in addition a exceptional expansibility, in a position to be inflated to giant sizes. Furthermore, one of many unique functions of balloons is to transmit alerts. Shikun Zhu elaborates.
the black and white balloons embrace a printed passage from a Chinese language e book
three layers: spectacle, contemplation and inspection
SH ALL WE TALK may be divided into three layers. The primary is a synthetic spectacle encountered unexpectedly within the wild. On this atmosphere, assembly him shall be a stunning scene, and those that aren’t in a rush will deal with him as an odd landmark and cease to take photographs. The shock is enhanced by the non-disclosure of the precise location. If that’s the case, it could flip the power into an anticipated vacationer attraction quite than a real, surprising expertise. The second layer entails passers-by approaching the set up and sitting on the bench under it. The transition from standing to sitting is a vital transition, involving a motion in the direction of stability and tranquility whereas sitting and searching up on the balloons. Then, as they give the impression of being forward, they absorb an enormous panorama that can not be totally captured in a nonetheless photograph. “At this level SH ALL WE TALK begins. This “SPEAKING” is silent; it might be a dialog with nature, the universe, your self and somebody you miss, who’s current or absent. Nature will encourage you to talk from the center, and this expertise can’t be recorded in footage, however solely engraved in a single's reminiscence.,' Shikun Zhu mirrored.
conceived in 2017 and materialized in Kuqa-Baicheng, Xinjiang in September 2023
Lastly, the third layer takes form after leaving the location. Maybe after a while, guests can come throughout photographs they've taken and immediately zoom in to examine facial expressions in the event that they've taken a selfie or portrait. Nevertheless, individuals don’t often examine a picture of a panorama or huge panorama. Testing this habits, the artist printed chosen sections of Su Shi's “First Ode to the Purple Rock” and included its Chinese language and English variations on the black-and-white balloons. The textual content reads: “Simply wind on the water and moonlight within the mountain, Changing into melody if you hear it, Changing into panorama if you see it, by no means lose an oz irrespective of how a lot you’re taking, nor run out irrespective of how a lot you utilize. Limitless treasure from God above, for you and me, as a present to be alive.'