In the past 60 years in China, photos both famous and ordinary have been manipulated. Ninety examples of these paired doctorings were on view in Zhang Dali's solo exhibition 'A Second History'. As noted by Zhang, “people will naturally fix what they consider ugly, and touch those objects that are visible to them.” This is the premise behind the photo pairings, which show how photography was used as a tool to manipulate the perceived needs of the masses from that particular era. These photos represent a critical part of Chinese history; as Zhang Dali said “they have guided our lives, studies, work, and family values.” The show consists of vibrant examples of artistic censorship, used explicitly for political motives, as well as commonplace examples of photo enhancement made during the same era. These doctored photos make up this “second history.”
Artist biography included.
Onsite
English
2006
240
Nil
2
artist monograph,
catalogue
A Second History: A New Art Project by Zhang Dali - WU Hung, 巫鴻
Speech presented in Berlin at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt - ZHANG Dali, 張大力
Zhang Dali: A Second History
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