Zhao Zhao's "Throne" is a Masterpiece of Contemporary Art, brilliantly juxtaposing the relic of China's imperial past with a contemporary rendering. It is a poignant commentary on China's bloody history and the emptiness of its current throne. The installation for the Humboldt Lab Dhalem, features an imperial throne submerges in a torrent of red wax solidified to picturesque shapes. While the artist, with this almost violent gesture, withdraws the allegedly artful shape of the throne from the gaze of the viewer, he simultaneously makes his own way of dealing with his artistic surroundings, transparent.
On a monitor one can read the thoughts of the artist as entries in his blog, alongside responses and commentaries from friends, acquaintances and museum visitors. The interactive blog, which is partially accessible in German translation, offers museum visitors the opportunity to participate in the debate on how to deal with museal artifacts. The dynamism of this democratic exchange contrasts sharply with the frozen movement of the red wax; on the one hand, it refers to the imperial past and its violent structures, on the other, to the stagnation of democratic efforts of the current Chinese regime.This is what makes the piece a perfect fit for the Tiroche DeLeon Collection that acquires seminal works of artists from developing markets, imbued with local tradition and meaning.
Zhao Zhao (b.1982, China)
Waterfall, 2013
Tang Contemporary Art, Zhao Zhao 2006-2016
Tang Contemporary Art (Book), 2016
DSL Collection , DSL Collection Issue no.5
DSL Collection (Magazine), August 2014
Art14 in Pictures
Randian (Online), March 1, 2014
Christopher Moore, London Breifing with Stephnie Dieckvoss, Art14 Director
Randian (Online), February 26, 2014
Art14 London
Timeout London (Online), February 25, 2014
View Publication »
Colin Gleadell, Art14: New Fair Is Firing On All Cylinders
The Telegraph (Newspaper), February 25, 2014
View Publication »
Art14 London Announce Projects by International Artists at the Fair
Art14 (Other), February 13, 2014
View Publication »
Art14 Adds UK Regional Galleries to the Mix
The Art Newspaper (Newspaper), 2014
Art14- Frieze, Just Cooler
GQ Magazine (Magazine), January 2014
View Publication »
Travis Jeppesen, Gaze: On Zhao Zhao's Waterfall
Randian (Online), August 26, 2013
View Publication »
Ronald Berg, Die Statue des Polizisten ist Zerbrochen
Taz (Newspaper), May 2, 2013
View Publication »
Ulrike Knofel, Ich lasse mich nicht zahmen
Der Spiegel (Journal), April 29, 2013
View Publication »
Leap Magazine
Leap Magazine (Magazine), December, 2013
View Publication »
Zhang Ding
—Orbit-4
2014Li Gang
—Red Apple, Green Apple
2013Li Gang
—Soft
2014Weigang Gao
—Anonymous Ditch
2008-2012Weigang Gao
—Don’t Cry to Me
2011Guo Hongwei, Li Shurui, Yang Xinguang
—Rural Poetics
2015Wu Hao
—Rolling Gate No.2
2014Wu Hao
—Rolling Gate No.3
2014Wu Hao
—Rolling Gate No.4
2014An He
—Yoshiyoka Miho
2012Yu Honglei
—Everything is Extremely Important, There is Nothing That Will Not Come Back Again
2013Zhang Huan
—Insect Painting no. 2
2006Yu Ji
—Public Space No 1
2007Yu Ji
—Public Space No 3
2011Yu Ji
—Tiny Figure - Female
2012Wang Jianwei
—...the event matured, accomplished in sight of all non-existent human outcomes." No. 13
2013Wang Jianwei
—"...the event matured, accomplished in sight of all non-existent human outcomes." No.28
2013Wang Jianwei
—It is...No.5
2013Li Jikai
—Burning Match
2010Li Jinghu
—Rainbow
2009Li Jinghu
—Stone Feces
2006Li Jinghu
—Counting Stars
2005Hyung Koo Kang
—Self Portrait
2010Hyung Koo Kang
—Auguste Rodin
2011Hyung Koo Kang
—Albert Einstein
2003Hyung Koo Kang
—Mao Zedong
2003Sea-Hyun Lee
—Between Red 111
2010Sea-Hyun Lee
—Between Red 116
2010Sea-Hyun Lee
—Between Red 059
2008Yongbaek Lee
—Broken Mirror (Classic)
2008Ming Li
—The Phantom That Is Screen
2016Tianbing Li
—Selfportrait (Village Paris, Xiangbi Hill, Tiananmen)
2010-2011Tianbing Li
—Rêve Tiananmen
2010Guohe Liao
—Old Fuck
2011Fang Lijun
—2005.1.10
2005Cheng Ran
—1971-2000
2012Ruijun Shen
—Market
2008Ruijun Shen
—Statue#1
2008Liu Shiyuan
—From “Happiness” to “Whatever”
2015Timur Si-Qin
—Truth by Peace Ⅱ
2015Timur Si-Qin
—Truth by Peace Ⅲ
2015Yoon Suk One
—Dry Flower
2016Yi-Hsing Tzeng
—9 Works: My Dear Deng, Xiaoping | My Dear Ronald Reagan | My Dear Bill Clinton | My Dear George W. Bush | My Dear George Bush | My Dear Sunny Side Up Chiang, Kai-shek | My Dear President #4 | My Dear Ma, Ying-jeou | My Dear Barack Obama |
2010 - 2011Du Wang
—Fable
2012Liu Wei
—Jungle 1
2012Ai WeiWei
—Forever
2003Liu Xiaodong
—Green pub 6
2013Liu Xiaodong
—The fire of 1841
2012Haegue Yang
—Escaping Transparency
2011Haegue Yang
—Over the Waves and Trails – Trustworthy #87- #104
2011Zhu Yu
—Stain NO.16
2012Dong Yuan
—Grandmother's House
2013Song Yuanyuan
—Landscape
2014Song Yuanyuan
—Workshop
2014Song Yuanyuan
—Comfortable Room
2013Zhao Zhao
—Constellations II No. 3
2013Zhao Zhao
—Girls with Snake
2010Zhao Zhao
—Rabbit
2010Zhao Zhao
—Thank You Brother-in-law (2)
2010Xu Zhen (MadeIn Company)
—Buddha's Warrior Attendant (Kepi)
2011Xu Zhen (MadeIn Company)
—Light Source-The Gold of Their Bodies
2014Xu Zhen (MadeIn Company)
—Play-Rebecca
2014Xu Zhen (MadeIn Company)
—Under Heaven -- 3228IN0144
2014Xu Zhen (MadeIn Company)
—Buddha's Warrior Attendant (Officer's hat)
2011Xu Zhen (MadeIn Company)
—Buddha's Warrior Attendant (Soldier's Hat)
2011Xu Zhen (MadeIn Company)
—Buddha's Warrior Attendant (Colonial Hat)
2011Xu Zhen (MadeIn Company)
—"In mass exercise, the greater the conflict between theory and reality, the stronger its eagerness to impose beliefs on others"
2010
Marina Abramovic
—Rhythm 0
1974Rina Banerjee
—With breath Taking Consumption Her Commerce Ate While She Was Being Eaten
2008Eduardo Basualdo
—Sky
2013Sheba Chhachhi
—Neelkanth: Poison/Nectar
2000-2008Adriano Costa
—6 Monuments (Mão, Gala, Sahara, Human Rights, Israel, Waikiki)
2012Vibha Galhotra
—Works in Progress
2008Weigang Gao
—Don’t Cry to Me
2011Os Gemeos
—Sem Titulo
2008-2010Guo Hongwei, Li Shurui, Yang Xinguang
—Rural Poetics
2015Shilpa Gupta
—I Keep Falling At You
2010An He
—Yoshiyoka Miho
2012Geraldine Javier
—Hysteria
2011Li Jinghu
—Rainbow
2009Li Jinghu
—Stone Feces
2006Li Jinghu
—Counting Stars
2005Gabriel Kuri
—Waiting Spent (07)
2013Fang Lijun
—2005.1.10
2005Mateo López
—Caja Negra
2012Ohad Meromi
—Screen and Totem
2001Moris (Israel Meza Moreno)
—Macho Alfa (Alpha male)
2012Marcelo Moscheta
—Anti-Gravitational Magnetic Pole 62 Stones
2009Paulo Nazareth
—Banana Market/ Art Market
2011Donna Ong
—In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
2010Nicolas Paris
—History of expandable parts / Diagram of the interaction
2011Rashid Rana
—Desperately Seeking Paradise II
2011Duhirwe Rushemeza
—Return of the Makaned
2013Liu Shiyuan
—From “Happiness” to “Whatever”
2015Eliezer Sonnenschein
—Untitled
2010Manit Sriwanichpoom
—Pink Men vs. Pink Buddha
2007Erika Verzutti
—Mineral
2013Adrian Villar Rojas
—Before My Birth 3
2012Laura Vinci
—Lux Lisboa
2010Ai WeiWei
—Forever
2003Haegue Yang
—Escaping Transparency
2011Dong Yuan
—Grandmother's House
2013Robert Zhao Renhui
—Eskimo Wolf Trap Often Quoted in Sermons
2013