ZHANG WENXIN
THE MAP OF THE MAPPING
CURATED BY WANG HUAN
In “The Map of the Mapping,” Zhang Wenxin selected tides as the central motif because of their quality to belong both to fields of science and symbolism of the mystic. With that in mind, she prompts the viewers to ask themselves: do technologically-produced, graphic images still possess the kind of ancient “magic” akin to that of raw, natural motifs?
As part of a certain contemporary response and extension, the issues that Zhang Wenxin faces in her chosen subject (technologically-produced images) are ambiguous. The entire body of work seems to launch a continuous state of search. Even when people attempt to describe and reevaluate the medium of photography, there will always exist a barrier to a unilateral experience. The artist’s constructions avoid confirming an “ultimate meaning,” and instead allude to the images’ capacity to represent the undefinable world of magic. When she reexamines technological images in photography, Zhang suggests that science and mystery could not only coexist, but also complement each other’s progress.
Zhang Wenxin, Bonfire, 2019. Photograph (UV print on Mirror). Courtesy of the artist.
Zhang Wenxin, Icy Cave, 2019. Photograph (UV print on Mirror). Courtesy of the artist.
Zhang Wenxin, film still from Daybreak, 2019. HD video with sound. Courtesy of the artist.
Zhang Wenxin, Shadow Maze, 2019. Archival Pigment Print. Courtesy of the artist.
Zhang Wenxin, film still from Nightfall, 2019. HD video with sound. Courtesy of the artist.