65 kg

Creator(s)

Huan ZHANG 張洹

Preview

Date

6-11-1994

Format

Photograph

Materials

Action Art (sleeping mats, hot plate, steel pan, iron chain, leather strap, disinfectant spray)

Description

In preparation for this action Zhang sewed together hundreds of white sleeping mats and laid them around his living room. In the center lays a pile of more mats, which supports a hot plate heating up a steel hospital pan. The artist hangs nude from the ceiling and his blood drips into the pan. Upon contact, the droplets of blood sizzles and splatters into the air, leaving a distinct scent. Prior to his suspension, the artist sprayed the walls with disinfectant to further increase the olfactory experience reminiscent of a hospital. In order to move around the room, spectators have to walk over the mats, which further adds to the sensory experience. The action's title refers to the artist's weight of exactly 65 kg. The artist sent two photos from the performance to the archive. The first depicts the two men dressed as doctors setting up the hot plate while Zhang's body hangs over them. The second shows the suspended artist and the cameramen, friends, and other spectators. Xing Dan-Wen, friend of the artist and East Village colleague, photographed the action. For more information, read Kong Bu's article in "Zhang Huan: Altered States” (2007), published by Charta and Asia Society and archived on the artist’s website: http://www.zhanghuan.com/wzMF/info_28.aspx?itemid=1104. (Nicole Wang ‘26).