29/01/2025
Zhang Xu Zhan "Termite Feeding Show" Kohtassa on yksi seuraavan Art Walk Kalasataman näyttelyistä. Kyseessä on ensimmäinen kerta kun taiwanilaisen Zhang Xun teoksia on esillä pohjoismaissa.
𝐙𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐗𝐮 𝐙𝐡𝐚𝐧: 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰
Zhang Xu Zhan (Taiwan, 1988, lives in Taipei) has made a name for himself internationally with visually and conceptually compelling video installations, informed by his understanding of cinematic storytelling as a sophisticated play with archetypal narrative and abstract thought.
Termite Feeding Show (2024) combines stop-motion animation with performances by actors in insect-like costume. This two-channel tongue- in-cheek cabaret has been installed only once before, in an abandoned house outside of Taipei, but the film is part of the official selection for the Rotterdam Film Festival in February this year.
In his own synopsis, Zhang Xu writes:
‘Climate crisis, energy disasters, the fantasy of the Anthropocene and a sci-fi fable of insect diets. Inspired by a real news story: “Termites chewing through power cables causing major blackouts in mountainous cities.”
To adapt to sudden ecological changes brought about by climate change, “termites” have shifted their dietary habits, turning their attention to artificial cables as a new food source.
In the damp, shadowy ant tunnels, insect restaurants feature musicians playing cooking melodies while butchers handle the food (meat portions), showcasing their culinary skills with cable-based dishes. This serves both as a sacrificial offering to the gods of ecology and an act of revenge against humanity.’
Zhang Xu Zhan is represented by Project Fulfill Art Space in Taipei. This is his first presentation in the Nordic region.
The exhibition runs trough 30.3.2025. You can find Kohta from the Teurastamo area in Helsinki.
📷: Termite Feeding Show, 2024, installation view Photographer: Jussi Tiainen
