Chen Zhen (; 4 October 1955 – 13 December 2000) was a Chinese-French conceptual artist known for his large-scale sculptures and installations such as ''
La Danse de la fontaine émergente'' in Paris. He is recognized as one of the most important Chinese artists since the 1990s.
Born in Shanghai and educated in Shanghai and Paris, Chen suffered from
autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) occurs when antibodies directed against the person's own red blood cells (RBCs) cause them to burst (lyse), leading to an insufficient number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells in the circulation. The lifetime of ...
and died at age 45. He was the brother of
Chen Zhu
Chen Zhu (; born August 17, 1953) is a Chinese hematologist, molecular biologist, and politician. He is a vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and President of the Red Cross Society of China. He was also the c ...
, a vice chairman of the
National People's Congress
The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (NPC; ), or simply the National People's Congress, is constitutionally the supreme state authority and the national legislature of the People's Republic of China.
With 2, ...
of China.
Biography
Chen Zhen was born in 1955 to a family of doctors in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, China. He grew up in the former
Shanghai French Concession
The Shanghai French Concession; ; Shanghainese pronunciation: ''Zånhae Fah Tsuka'', group=lower-alpha was a foreign concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1943, which progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Th ...
during the tumultuous decade of the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
.
He studied at Shanghai Fine Arts and Crafts School, and later at
Shanghai Drama Institute (now Shanghai Theatre Academy), specializing in stage design. In 1982 he became a professor at Shanghai Drama Institute.
When he was 25, Chen was diagnosed with
autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) occurs when antibodies directed against the person's own red blood cells (RBCs) cause them to burst (lyse), leading to an insufficient number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells in the circulation. The lifetime of ...
and was told he might have only five years to live. As China loosened travel restrictions in the 1980s, he left Shanghai in 1986 for
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, France, where he studied art at the
École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
The Beaux-Arts de Paris is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level arts education and training. This is classical and historical School of Fine Arts in France. The art school, which is part of the Paris Science ...
and the
Institut des Hautes Études en Arts Plastiques (IHEAP). He supported himself by drawing portraits on the street.
From 1993 to 1995 Chen was a professor at IHEAP in Paris, and from 1995 to 1999 he taught at the École nationale des beaux-arts in Nancy.[
Chen died of cancer in Paris on 13 December 2000. He is buried in the 28th division of the ]Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figures ...
.[
]
Works and exhibitions
Although his career was cut short by disease, Chen had achieved international fame by the time he died.[ His mature work, created in the last decade of his life, explored "synergy" between different cultural and political environments. He is also known for using furniture and antique Chinese materials in his constructions.] His large-scale works, exploring the topics of health and homeland, were well received globally. He held more than 30 solo shows in Europe, Asia, and America.[ After his death, memorial exhibitions were held at the Institute of Contemporary Art in ]Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,[ ]MoMA PS1
MoMA PS1 is a contemporary art institution located in Court Square in the Long Island City neighborhood in the borough of Queens, New York City. In addition to its exhibitions, the institution organizes the Sunday Sessions performance series, th ...
in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, as well as in Greece and Italy.
Despite his fame abroad, as of 2015 there have been only two solo exhibitions of his works in his native Shanghai. The first was held at the Shanghai Art Museum
The Shanghai Art Museum () was an art museum in the city of Shanghai, China. In October 2012, the museum was rebranded as the China Art Museum when it moved to the China pavilion at Expo 2010 on the former Shanghai Expo 2010 lands. The Shanghai ...
in 2006, and the second at the Rockbund Art Museum
The Rockbund Art Museum (RAM, ) is a contemporary art museum in central Shanghai. The museum is on Huqiu Road, in the former Royal Asiatic Society building completed in 1933 near The Bund waterfront. The museum is dedicated to being an influentia ...
(2015). The latter was curated by Hou Hanru, artistic director of the MAXXI in Rome.[ Chen has also had solo exhibitions at DE SARTHE in Hong Kong in 2011 and works from 1991 to 2000 were exhibited at Pirelli HangarBicocca in Milan, Italy in an exhibition titled 'Chen Zhen, Short-Circuits' from 15 October 2020 to 6 June 2021.
]
La Danse de la fontaine émergente
Chen Zhen's last major work was the monumental fountain '' La Danse de la fontaine émergente'' in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. He died when the work was still a sketch. His widow Xu Min (徐敏), who is also an artist and Chen's close collaborator,[ spent seven years completing the work of great technical complexity.][ The installation, which has water circulating at high pressure within a stylized dragon and is illuminated at night, was inaugurated in 2008.]
Family
Chen Zhen's father Chen Jialun (陈家伦) and mother Xu Manyin (许曼音) are both prominent doctors and medical professors in Shanghai. He was the youngest of three children. His eldest brother, Chen Zhu
Chen Zhu (; born August 17, 1953) is a Chinese hematologist, molecular biologist, and politician. He is a vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and President of the Red Cross Society of China. He was also the c ...
, is a hematologist who has served as China's Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. He also had a sister named Chen Jian (陈简) or Jian Chen Bristol. He and his wife Xu Min have a son, Chen Bo.[
]
References
External links
Association des Amis de Chen Zhen
Interview with Chen Zhen's wife Xu Min
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Zhen
1955 births
2000 deaths
Artists from Shanghai
Chinese emigrants to France
French conceptual artists
Chinese sculptors
20th-century French sculptors
French male sculptors
Deaths from cancer in France
Shanghai Theatre Academy alumni
Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
French installation artists
20th-century Chinese sculptors