Artwork: Expedition #43
Artist: Robert Zhao Renhui
Year: 2011
Media: Archival pigment print mounted on aluminium, framed
Size: 84×121cm
Edition: 2/5+1AP
Price: SGD 6,000
Natural scenery and zoology are the primary subjects Robert Zhao Renhui represents in his works; preternatural scenes and serene atmospheres provoke audiences’ imaginations. His work is based on the concept of doubt and uncertainty. By testing the limits of the principles behind the dissemination of knowledge and acceptance of truths, all the works convey his deep-rooted thinking on image editing.
The Glacier Study Group consists of scientists, artists, activists and people who are interested in glacial and polar activities in the Arctic Circle. The approach of the group is broad in terms of its scientific methods of investigation, data collection and glacier sampling. Global warming has seen an increased interest in glaciers and the group spend long periods each year (often as much as 6 months) in the extreme conditions of the Arctic investigating the melting of glaciers and its impact on the surrounding flora and fauna.
The images were taken during an 8 month period in 2011 when one of the biggest glaciers in the Arctic receded by more than a third of its volume.
About the Artist
Robert ZHAO Renhui
Singaporean visual artist Robert Zhao Renhui (b. 1983) works chiefly with photography but often adopts a multi-disciplinary approach, presenting images together with documents and objects in the form of textual and media analysis, video and photography projects. His artistic practice investigates man’s relationship with nature, utilizing convincing narratives to invoke doubts in its audience towards the concept of truth and its portrayal. His works has been exhibited globally, having held solo exhibitions in Singapore, China, Japan, Australia, and Italy, as well as participating in various biennales and photo festivals.
Recent exhibitions include Posthuman Ensemble, Asia Culture Center, Gwangju, South Korea (2021); From the Mundane World, He Art Museum, Foshan, China (2020); Busan Biennale: Words at an Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, Busan, South Korea (2020); Singapore Biennale: Every Step in the Right Direction, Singapore (2019); The Lines We Draw, Yalu River Art Museum, Dandong, China (2019); Effect, Orange County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA (2019); Observe, Experiment, Archive, Sunderland Museum and Winter Garden, London, U.K (2019); The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Australia (2018); JIWA: Jakarta Biennale 2017, Jakarta, Indonesia (2017); 7th Moscow Biennale, Moscow, Russia (2017); A Guide to the Flora and Fauna of the World, Centre of Contemporary Photography, Australia (2015).
His works have been awarded The United Overseas Bank Painting of the Year Award (Singapore) in 2009 and The Deutsche Bank Award in Photography by the University of the Arts London in 2011. In 2010, he was awarded The Young Artist Award by the Singapore National Arts Council. He was also named as a finalist for the Hugo Boss Asia Art Award 2017 as the only Southeast Asian artist, and the 12th Benesse Prize 2019 for his work in the 6th Singapore Biennale. Most recently, he was awarded the inaugural Silvana S. Foundation Commission Award in 2020 and Excellence Award in the 44th New Cosmos of Photography competition in 2021.
About the Gallery
ShanghART Gallery (Shanghai, Beijing & Singapore)
Founded in 1996, ShanghART Gallery is one of the first contemporary art galleries established in China now maintaining spaces in Shanghai, Beijing and Singapore. For the past twenty years, ShanghART has kept devoting to the development of contemporary art in China and also kept close and long-term cooperation with more than 60 artists. Sustaining the highest-quality in presenting contemporary art exhibitions and projects, ShanghART regularly participates in the major international art fairs and collaborates with important art institutions in China and from all over the world.
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