Yves Klein and Michael Jackson, one with a leap into the void, the other with moon walk, created a myth of their own with their appeal “defying” the pull of gravity. It is worth mentioning that no one believes the moon walk can overcome gravity, knowing that the point is there is no point in believing it is true. What is so great about believing in the truth? Witnessing a miracle, the audiences are in fact spellbound; it is a fabrication everyone can see – but to see it light up the reality! It boils down to the worthiness that the moon walk reveals about belief: it has nothing to do with lofty ideas but with one’s own will, one’s desire to meet the need in the innermost.

In answer to the question about life’s reality, what can we do when there is no God? “Razzle Dazzle” is a continuation of Zhang Miao’s quest for solutions since his 2010 solo show “To Myself”. “Razzle Dazzle” tries to convey a sense of double image caused by constant shifts. In the sequence of chain reactions Zhang planned for himself, he has no choice but to take the fall, letting go of all holdings in the hope of beating his own anticipation for the finishing line. It is about reaching ecstasy along a rational path. With genuine pursuit pointing to modernity and a heart of a primitive, Zhang manages to fuse painting, sculpture and drama in his oeuvre. Like a drama of intertwined destinies, his doubts and determination infuses with bold colors and the luster of material to produce an alternate sense of reality and fantasy. Every single piece of work is placed in a cast of characters, whose “singing” and “dancing” conspire to build a baroque energy field of multiple illusions.

About the exhibition

Date: April 16 – June 16, 2016

Venue: C-Space, Beijing

Curator: Dong Jing

Text by Zhou Yi, Translation by Lucy Lee/ C-Space

Courtesy of the artist and C-Space.