Not for Zhao Shao-Ruo

Creator(s)

Shao-Ruo ZHAO 赵少若

Preview

Date

1995

Format

Photograph

Location of Exhibition Event

Beijing, China

Dimensions

7 x 10in each

Description

In this collection, the artist has placed his name in red text over various subjects ranging from a set dinner table to a pornographic image and then promptly crossed it out. The artist had been influence by artists like Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol throughout his career. In 1989, Zhao was imprisoned after being involved in pro-democracy movements. This imprisonment lasted about one year until 1990. He then was arrested again in 1994 for fifty days. He escaped to Hong Kong in 1996 and moved with his wife to Finland in 1997. The title "Not for Zhao Shao-Ruo" and the crossing out of his name may be a reference to his time in prison where he did not have access to many pleasures. Furthermore, posters announcing death penalty declarations often had the names of the prisoner crossed out. Therefore, this artwork may be making a further negative statement. (Nicole Wang '26).