May 3–November 9, 2014
Storm King Art Center
Old Pleasant Hill Road
Mountainville, NY 10953
Storm King Art Center presents as its 2014 special exhibition Zhang Huan: Evoking Tradition, including more than 15 sculptures and works on paper by internationally celebrated contemporary artist Zhang Huan (b. 1965, Henan Province). Zhang’s Three Legged Buddha (2007), a copper and steel colossal sculpture standing nearly 28 feet high and weighing more than twelve tons, is the catalyst for the exhibition.
It represents the bottom half of a sprawling, three-legged figure, one of whose feet rests on an eight-foot-high human head that appears to be either emerging from or sinking into the earth. The piece entered Storm King’s collection in 2010 and has been on view ever since, outdoors in Storm King’s pristine, 500-acre landscape of rolling hills, fields, and woodlands.
Organized by David R. Collens, Director and Curator of Storm King Art Center; Melissa Chiu, Director of Asia Society Museum, New York; and Nora Lawrence, Associate Curator at Storm King, Zhang Huan: Evoking Tradition includes works on loan from collections in the US and China. A new work on view for the first time, Milly’s Temple (2013) incorporates a traditional Chinese temple, and will be among the outdoor sculptures.
The exhibition focuses on Zhang’s interest in Chinese traditional culture, in particular Buddhist imagery and related themes. Zhang’s return to China in 2005, after eight years of living in New York, marked a shift in his practice from time-based performances featuring his body as the central object to the more traditional artistic practice of creating painting and sculpture.
Five large-scale sculptures will be installed outside near Three Legged Buddha, juxtaposing that sculpture with related works in hammered copper, including sculptures such as Long Island Buddha (2010–2011) and Gone Beyond (2008). This series of large-scale works was inspired by the artist’s travels in Tibet, where he encountered fragments of Buddhist statuary destroyed during China’s Cultural Revolution in the mid-1960s and early 1970s.
Additional sculptures and works on paper will be displayed inside Storm King’s Museum Building to showcase Zhang’s artistic process. These include various drawings of Three Legged Buddha, and a plaster model of it created in 2006, as well as Small Three Legged Buddha (2007), a 3-foot high sculpture in copper. Also inside the Museum building will be Zhang’s sculptures made of ash, including Ash Thinker No. 10 (2008), and Ash Army No. 5 (2008).
To complement the exhibition, Storm King will publish a fully illustrated catalogue that will include an interview with Zhang Huan conducted by Melissa Chiu and an essay by Nora Lawrence.
Special event:
Join Co-Curators of Zhang Huan: Evoking Tradition Melissa Chiu, Director of the Asia Society Museum, and David Collens, Director and Curator at Storm King Art Center, for a conversation and tour on June 7 at 2pm.
About Zhang Huan
Born in Henan Province in 1965, Zhang Huan is one of China’s most influential and provocative contemporary artists. For more information, visit www.zhanghuan.com.
About Storm King Art Center
Storm King is located on Old Pleasant Hill Road, in Mountainville, New York, one hour from New York City. For information about hours and admission, public transportation, directions, Zipcar discounts, special events, family activities, bike rentals, and the cafe, visit www.stormking.org, or call +1 845 534 3115.
Join the Zhang Huan: Evoking Tradition conversation on social media by mentioning Storm King Art Center and using #ZhangHuan #StormKing hashtags when posting.
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Media contacts:
Taylor Maatman, FITZ & CO: taylor.maatman [at] fitzandco.com / T +1 212 627 1455 x260
Fabiola Velez, FITZ & CO: fabiola [at] fitzandco.com / T +1 212 627 1455 x262
