Ark

作品賞析

ZHENG Chong-Xiao’s works focus on themes of humanity, machines, and the environment. The classical landscape paintings of ancient literati are employed to investigate the mutual relationship between the development of civilization and the environment. Ark is based upon the Song Dynasty painting Clear View of Streams and Mountains by Xia Gui, and recreates a modern version of the same landscape in a technologically advanced setting. The painting no longer employs the traditional techniques of wrinkles and ink splashes, while people in traditional attire are nowhere to be found, having been replaced by digitalized landscapes and Pouting Boy. Some of the boys have brought their girlfriends to admire the flowers. Others busy themselves in building an ark with machinery, renewable energy, and flying devices as their tools. ZHENG Chong-Xiao uses this visual transformation and interesting perspective to imagine the various possibilities of balanced technological and ecological progress.