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Lot Essay
"There is a paradox within such a function for art, since it is the very possibility of art within humans that is partly constitutive of human's separation from animal life and yet also the space within which this difference finds a disturbing proximity." Paul Tebbs cited in a review of Zhao Renhui's The Blind Project.
Working under the appellation of the Institute of Critical Zoologists, Zhao Renhui, who shuttles London and Singapore, has emerged as one of the most exciting contemporary photographers whose body of work is distinctly centred around the creation of series of meta-research projects. He received the Deustche Bank Award in Photography in London in 2011 and was awarded the Singapore National Arts Council Young Artist Awards in 2010. In 2009, he won the most distinguished art prize in Singapore, The United Overseas Bank Painting of the year Award.
In his works, he delves into aspects of zoology and art through the medium of photography. He creates fictional expeditions, research topics and subject matters and documents through his photographic works. In doing so, there is an active and constant engagement with the idea of humanity and our existence on earth.
In The Institute of Critical Zoologists (The Blind Project) (Lot 2626), the artist has shot a zoologist subject cloaked in a camouflage overall that bends light instead of reflecting it. The camouflage cloak that is devised bends light instead of reflecting it, allowing the wearer to blend into practically any environment one finds oneself. The present work, a staged scenario, depicts perhaps the first instance where the cloak is wore and successfully tested, making it one of the most cherished work in the Blind Project series.
Working under the appellation of the Institute of Critical Zoologists, Zhao Renhui, who shuttles London and Singapore, has emerged as one of the most exciting contemporary photographers whose body of work is distinctly centred around the creation of series of meta-research projects. He received the Deustche Bank Award in Photography in London in 2011 and was awarded the Singapore National Arts Council Young Artist Awards in 2010. In 2009, he won the most distinguished art prize in Singapore, The United Overseas Bank Painting of the year Award.
In his works, he delves into aspects of zoology and art through the medium of photography. He creates fictional expeditions, research topics and subject matters and documents through his photographic works. In doing so, there is an active and constant engagement with the idea of humanity and our existence on earth.
In The Institute of Critical Zoologists (The Blind Project) (Lot 2626), the artist has shot a zoologist subject cloaked in a camouflage overall that bends light instead of reflecting it. The camouflage cloak that is devised bends light instead of reflecting it, allowing the wearer to blend into practically any environment one finds oneself. The present work, a staged scenario, depicts perhaps the first instance where the cloak is wore and successfully tested, making it one of the most cherished work in the Blind Project series.