ShanghART Singapore presents a solo exhibition of Beijing-based artist Zhu Jia (b. 1963), The Face of Facebook, which is the first in-depth examination of his works in Singapore. Featuring a recent project, the Face of Facebook (finishing version), as well as videos and photographs from earlier stage, the exhibition will provide an engaging look at Zhu’s works over the past two decades.

Zhu Jia is conceptually probing unique visual experiences beyond regular ones. His recent project, the Face of Facebook, is an exact example. This project is not a traditionally finished work by Zhu himself, but is a combination of various contributions from his personal network (more than 50 friends), among them there’s no lack of powerful names in contemporary art circle in China, such as Liu Xiaodong, Wang Guangyi, Yan Peiming, Zhang Xiaogang, video artist such as Yang Fudong, as well as young artist like Sun Xun. This project is a seemingly replacement of his Facebook account in China (Facebook is banned in mainland China), yet it goes more than that. The relationship between Zhu and his “followers” is more solid, or we can call it friendship. Friends that are connected show their trust and respect to Zhu Jia, and are willing to contribute a work that may be of high value. As Zhu has once commented, “This is not a question of painting per se, but it delves into the question of power, politics and market.”

Repetition and uncertainty is a constant theme in Zhu’s works. Repetition of endless movements provokes dynamic visions from multi-perspectives. He uses quasi-motionless images to focus on details of human figures, everyday objects and banal landscapes and expose their "objective" state of existence. His landmark work, which has been shown in New York MoMA, Forever (1994), is a discombobulating video that captures the streets of Beijing through the circular movement of a bicycle wheel; Never Take Off (2002), in which an airplane cruising endlessly on the tarmac, a lamentation on latent or wasted energy; Zero (2012), comes from the narrated and fragmentized memory of family story, details of protagonists and objects are unfolded through slow but elegant shots, sensibility is stirred and remained through visual images and psychological perceptions. Using characteristic wit, humor and poignancy, Zhu reflects upon the vast political, economic and social change in China.

Image: © Zhu Jia, ShanghART Gallery