Milan: Chen Zhen: Short-Circuits
By Alessandra Alliata Nobili
Photo of CHEN ZHEN’s Jue Chang, Dancing Body – Drumming Mind (The Last Song), 2000, beds, chairs, cowhide, wood, metal, string, rope, 244 × 1,800 × 1,400 cm; multimedia installation with performance: approximately 10 min, at "Short-circuits," Pirelli Hangar Bicocca, Milan, 2020. Copyright the artist/ADAGP, Paris. Photo by Francesco Margaroli. Courtesy Pirelli Hangar Bicocca.
The late conceptual artist Chen Zhen described the moment of artistic creation as a “short-circuit” generated by presenting commonplace objects in unexpected combinations and contexts. Named for this idea, the artist’s recent retrospective, curated by Vicente Todolí at Pirelli Hangar Bicocca in Milan to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Chen’s death, showcased 24 iconic installations from 1991 to 2000 that represent central concerns in his practice, from globalization and consumerism to the healing power of art.
