Linhan Zhang

SAIC SHOWS 2022 GRADUATE EXHIBITIONS

Graduates

SAIC SHOWS 2022 GRADUATE EXHIBITIONS

Master of Fine Arts in Studio, Film, Video, New Media, and Animation

Linhan Zhang is a cross-media artist primarily working with video installation and live performance. Their works mainly focus on the passage of time, memory, and the beauty of ordinary details in our daily life. They are also paying attention to the present situation of queer culture and the possibility of LGBTQ+ community in the future in China. Most of their works are slow-paced, aiming to make the audience experience a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere. Zhang also works in other media, including photography, artist books, sculpture, and drawing. Linhan Zhang earned their BFA from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in the Photography Department and is currently an MFA candidate at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in FVNMA.

Untitled, 2021, Documentation of performance, Photo by Jess Smoot

Linhan Zhang - "Meaninglessness" series – Modern Kitchen

"Meaninglessness" series – Modern Kitchen, 2019, Spoons, canvas, acrylic paint, wire, wood sticks, and fan, Photo by Kexin Yao

Linhan Zhang - “Meaninglessness” series – Light a cigarette for you

“Meaninglessness” series – Light a cigarette for you, 2019, Cigarette, magnifying glass, holder, and projector, Photo by Kexin Yao

Linhan Zhang - “Meaninglessness” series – Ice Clock

“Meaninglessness” series – Ice Clock, 2019, Water, pointer, battery, and metal bowl, Photo by Linhan Zhang

The aim of this work is to create an antithetic space to the idea that doing meaningful things will turn you into a useful person. However, the “meaningless" created in this space is not literally meaningless, but a question of the "meaning" in the broad sense, emphasizing that this concept is controlled by leaders, corporations, and those in power. In this work, I hope that through the passage of time, the audience can feel the beauty of "meaningless". Please don't feel guilty about experiencing life at a slow pace or living a meaningless life.

Linhan Zhang - What’s left? – Receipts as a memory

What’s left? – Receipts as a memory, 2020, Documentation of performance, Photo by Photobooth

This work is my reflection on the existence and fading of time and memory. I have collected all the receipts from August 15 of last year to the present. They are like photographs to me documenting my life. I spent the afternoon going through these receipts, trying to catch some memories. I recall something I did on a certain day or the mood of a certain moment, but most of the time I cannot remember anything. Things that I thought I would never forget, I have almost forgotten in just ten months. I crushed and compressed all the receipts, trying to seal them up. I use different parts of my body to feel them, to destroy them, and to rebuild them. Until they are illegible, until I cannot remember anything else.

My thesis project aims to explore the illusion of OCD and ADD and their relationship with society. The world is developing so fast. We are eager to pursue the meaning and value of life. Many people who cannot keep up with the tempo of society are left behind. I want to ask the world a question through my work. Could we all slow down for a while, stop feeling guilty about wasting time, just enjoy the passage of time, and observe the beauty that we often overlook in our daily life?

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