11,565 Kilometers 2019

About 11,565Km Project,

11,565 Km Project tracks the path of an artifact from the Shandong province (China) to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (USA). This work highlights issues related to the circulation of Chinese artifacts, the complexity of Chinese colonial histories. It portrays the long migration of this Chinese coffin, its historical colonial background, and the power dynamics within institutional museum collections. 11,565 Kilometers project includes: An essay film (One channel 4K video color and sound), A photography book;A photography installation (soil, rocks,photos ); One 3D Print sculpture and some specific site exhibition.

 Synopsis

In June 2018, the artist began conducting research on a Chinese artifact at UPenn’s museum, A Coffin Fragment (object#: 40-35-4), located in their Asian Art pavilion. Zhang’s research combines the photography and field investigation, Zhang did this work in multiple countries, from China to the United States, it takes up to 17 months. Zhang are involved in field investigations, cultural relic reproduction, historical text research, and museum institutional criticism. He tried to excavate the unknown story and rebuilt a visual journey of it.

Zhang regarded the exploration of hidden historical images as a process of shaping his personal view of history, his exploration reflected on the dynamic changes behind the historical landscape. With the help of Western historians and Chinese archaeologists, Zhang synthesized the data collected by all parties (German and Japanese colonial history in Shandong, etc.), archives (the story of Japanese antique dealer Yamanaka) to narrate an unofficial story. 11,565 Kilometers art project contains a 36-minute essay film (this film is a long poetic documentary, Zhang droved from inland to coastline along the Shandong Peninsula in 2018-2019, he saw an old artifact smuggling path which showed the contrast between historical landscapes and realistic scenes), and one set of photographic installation including Photography works, and precious images collected by the artist before the 1890-World War I, and related items of historical sites, Zhang analyzes the clues of historical sites, and remodels them through rebuilding photography installation), a 3D printing sample of the Object and a photography book, a site-specific exhibition in a fictional museum context .

 

11,565公里影像项目

11,565公里项目试图重构一件文物由山东省(中国)到宾夕法尼亚大学考古与人类学博物馆(美国)的流通与转移的路径。该影像项目重点调查了中国文物的海外流通问题,中国殖民历史档案的复杂性,描绘了名为Object#40-35-4的汉代坟墓碎片由中国开始的长期迁徙,背后的其历史殖民背景以及美国博物馆机构的权力动态。该项目主要作品包括:一部31分钟的散文电影(4K影像,色彩与声音); 一本摄影书,一个摄影装置(土壤,岩石与照片),一个3D打印与特殊场域的展览实践。

纲要:

从2018年6月,张北辰开始对位于费城的宾夕法尼亚大学考古与人类学博物馆亚洲展厅的“棺材碎片”(对象编号:40-35-4)中国文物进行研究。张的这项调查结合了摄影与他的历史考察,该项目跨越了多个地区,从中国东海岸到美国,耗时达17个月。艺术家介入到田野调查,文物复制,历史文本的研究以及博物馆机构批评等多个维度。他尝试进行了对于一件文物不为人知故事的挖掘以及图像化的转录。

张将错综复杂且隐秘的历史图像探索视为一种对他个人历史观的塑造过程,由个人叙事出发对于景观背后的权力动态变化进行了反思。在西方历史学者以及中国考古学家的帮助下,张综合了他由各方搜集而来的资料(德国与日本在山东殖民历史等等),档案(日本古董商山中定次郎的故事),访谈,建构起了一段他独自注解的影像项目。该艺术项目里面包含,一段长达36分钟的散文电影(这部电影是一部漫长的传记式的诗意纪录片,张在2018年-2019年沿着山东半岛由内陆到海岸线,独自驾车进行了长达数日的田野调查,其中他所观看的文物流通途径中的码头,河道,铁路等等,呈现出历史景观与现实场景的对照,联系)和一组摄影装置包括(艺术家所做摄影作品,以及艺术家搜集到的1890-一战前的珍贵图像,以及历史遗址的相关物品,艺术家进行对于历史遗址的线索进行分析与重新梳理,并通过模型化的重塑),一个3D打印而成的文物样本,和一本摄影书以及一个处在特殊场域(一个虚构的博物馆语境)的展览。

 

 

The 11,565 Kilometers Project  is showing in Cardinal Space, Baltimore. 11/2019

The installation view of  11,565 Kilometers Project.

The installation view of  11,565 Kilometers Project.

Clip-1 5min01s in the film. 11,565-394 Kilometers away from the artifacts excavation points.

Clip-2  6min26s in film. 390 Kilometers away from the artifacts excavation points

Clip-3 14min43s in the film. 300 Kilometers away from the artifacts excavation points

Clip-3 25min 56s in the film. 30 Kilometers away from the artifacts excavation

Clip-4 30min 19s in the film. 15 Kilometers away from the artifacts excavation

Installation View of Photography installation work 11,565Kilometers,2018-2019 (Artist’scollection,13digitalphotos,cottonthread,T-pin,USletter,soilandrocksfrom the historical
sites)

 

Photography Installation and 3-D print Object # 40-35-4

Photography Installation and 3-D print Object # 40-35-4

Details of 11,565 Kilometers Project, 2019, Artist collection.

Details of 11,565 Kilometers Project, 2019, Artist collection.

Details of 11,565 Kilometers Project, 2019, Writing on the board.

Details of 11,565 Kilometers Project, 2019, Artist’s photography works.

Details of 11,565 Kilometers Project, 2019, Artist’s photography work. Details of 11,565 Kilometers Project, 2019, the soil from historical site.

3-D print Object # 40-35-4

Unsent Letter from 1985, 2019, Audio installation, 11min02sec, Clamp spotlight, Wood table andChair. Unsent Letter from 1985, 2019, Audio installation, 11min02sec, Clamp spotlight, Wood table andChair.