Spirit Above All. The exhibition features abstract geometric compositions painted in black, white, and grey on pieces of denim, a material that is recognised for its durability. It marks the first time that he has contextualised his paintings with photographic backdrops.
Pace London is pleased to present Spirit
Above All, the first solo exhibition in the UK by
the conceptual Chinese artist Zhao Yao. Spirit
Above All will be on view at 6-10 Lexington
Street from 12 February to 16 March 2013.
The exhibition is a collaborative project
between Pace London and Beijing Commune.
Spirit Above All features seven new works
created by Zhao Yao in 2012 and marks the
first time that he has contextualised his
paintings with photographic backdrops in a
gallery. The exhibition features abstract
geometric compositions painted in black,
white, and grey on pieces of denim, a material
that is recognised for its durability. Once
completed, the artist brought the artworks to Tibet to be blessed by a “Living Buddha”, a
reincarnation of a previous Buddha according to the Buddhist religious doctrine. Zhao Yao
documented this process through photographs of the Tibetan landscape, which not only provide
backdrops in the gallery but will also be presented in albums for visitors to look at while seated on
the straw mats that form part of the installation.
Zhao Yao is fascinated by the relationship between art and its audience, and focuses on the
progression of his own works. This creates an on-going cycle of self-assessment, and reconstruction
of the old to produce the new, a process the artist describes as “self-consumption”.
This exhibition is an extension of the series A Painting of Thought, presented at Beijing Commune in
2011 and 2012, for which Zhao Yao borrowed geometric patterns from brain-teaser puzzles. This
familiar visual language, further explored in this exhibition, diverts the focus from the apparent
Modernist formality of the works and instead invites the viewer to reflect on their perceptions of the
work. The interaction with the artwork and the self-consciousness of the viewer is at the crux of Zhao
Yao’s art.
“The attention should never be on the paintings themselves, which I deliberately repeat in different
series to deconstruct their visual power, but the concept behind the forms. I am interested in the way
we look at exhibitions and how our pre-existing knowledge, whether cultural, religious or political,
affects our perception of art. I like to provide context for my works, but not to disclose my own
opinion so the discussion can remain open. In the same way that the puzzles I use aim at training
one’s brain to think logically, I want my exhibitions to challenge people’s conventional way of looking
at art.” Zhao Yao, 2012.
Spirit Above All, I-10, the titular piece of the exhibition, consists of nine matchsticks that are placed
in a particular sequence on top of each other, laid on top of dyed blue denim. While the interplay
between the hard-lined foreground geometry and soft background can be disorienting, “the whole
experience of the artwork”, as described by Zhao Yao, puts into relief our instinctive interpretation of
art. How does knowledge impact the way one understands an artwork? The artist’s proposal is to
omit familiar references and challenge spectators to respond honestly and without preconceptions.
Zhao Yao (b. in 1981 in Luzhou, Sichuan Province) graduated from the Design Department of
Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Zhao Yao’s works have been widely exhibited in China, with three major
solo exhibitions at Beijing Commune and Taikang Space in Beijing. He has been featured in a
number of international group exhibitions including the No Soul for Sale festival at Tate Modern,
London (2010); The Knife's Edge at the Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle (2011); and currently in
Global Groove at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum in Michigan (until 24 February). Zhao Yao
lives and works in Beijing.
Image: Spirit Above All I-10, 250 x 200 x 8 cm, acrylic on denim, 2012 © Zhao Yao
For press inquiries, please contact:
London: Nicolas Smirnoff, nicolas@pacegallery.com / +44 207 297 2820
Opening: Monday, 11 February 2013, 6 – 8 p.m.
Pace London
6-10 Lexington Street London, W1F 0LB
open to the public from Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.