Zhou Yan Contemporary Chinese Art Archive 周彦当代中国艺术档案
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Date
1994
Format
Slide
Materials
Steel, glass, water, fish, fishbones
Dimensions
1/2' x 14' x 8'
Description
Two plexiglass tanks are placed on top of a rectangular steel plate. One tank holds clear water and live fish, the other holds polluted water and fishbones. These tanks are connected by clear pipes and a charcoal filter. Polluted water can be pumped into the clear water tank, and the vise versa. Besides, there are four rusting industrial pipes at the corners of the steel plate, which may represent the modern industrial structure. As stated by the artist, the tank with clear water and fish represents the natural water resources, while the polluted tank with fishbones symbolizes the results of industrial pollution due to the mismanaged manufacturing by mankind. The filter in between two tanks symbolizes the tenuousness of survival and the increasing threat to nature by the industrial pollution. More information about this work can be found at https://digital.kenyon.edu/zhoudocs/453/. (Yifan Shang '25)
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