Kaiqin Zhang
Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
About the Artist
Kaiqin Zhang was born in Kunming, Yunnan province, China mainland, and is currently working for an independent art organization, Handshake 302, Shenzhen, China. After studying in the States, she returned to Shenzhen and immersed herself in the public art field. She’s participated and completed many large-scale public art projects commissioned by government, and studied public art system. Her current focus is on the Shenzhen local area. She’s working with local curators, artists and professionals in various fields, to explore the potential of public art’s development in the area. They are running an art space, Handshake 302, in the Baishizhou urban village, inviting people from various backgrounds to enjoy arts and communication. The interaction between humans and the connection human beings with nature have always been the focuses of her works.
Simplicity, calmness, along with observing the excited surroundings with kindness and humor are the key components of her style. Her works have always reflected the constant conversation with the immediate surroundings, never put up objection to other elements and humans within the same environment. On the contrary, they oftentimes become part of the works and their spontaneous behaviors from time to time bring inspiration and good surprises to the works.
After touching nature art first time in Korea with Yatoo, this field has been inspiring her and her art works deeply. Kaiqin's works have been part of many contemporary art exhibits in Mainland China, US, Japan, France, Turkey, Korea, etc. The works of her organization, Handshake 302, has entered three times of the Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture, Shenzhen from 2013-2017. Her personal art works have entered Tsukuba International Artist-in-Residence program 2015 and 2018, the Nishinomia Funasaka Biennale 2012 in Japan and Kemijarvi Wood Sculpting Symposium 2011 in Finland, the Washington Project for the Arts 2011 Experimental Media Series. She’s also been invited to join the The Global Nomadic Art Project from 2014 to 2017 by Yatoo-i of Korea.
About “Useless Garden”
“The plants in the city have always fascinated me. They blur easy distinctions between the artificial and the natural, as well as between the non-artificial and non-natural. Plants in urban landscapes are part of artificial landscaping. Yet even though their state of life is planned and controlled, nevertheless weeds flourish uninvited despite these “designs,” their tenacity and lushness an ongoing headache. This work takes the exhibition as an opportunity to make a temporary space for “useless” and “excess” plants. This is a time-related work: the process of gradually transplanting weeds randomly found in the “official” gardens of the museum's rooftop into the “temporary” gardens before you.” - Kaiqin Zhang
