Zou Cao

Zou Cao

Zou Cao holds an MA in Oil Painting from the Academy of Arts, Northeast Normal University, a PhD in Western Philosophy from the Academy of Philosophical and Social Studies, Jilin University, and a post-doc in the Study of Fine Arts, Central Academy of Fine Arts. His special experience of academic studies and research has infused unique characteristics of conceptual art into his artistic creation. Zou Cao artistic creation is rich and wide-ranging, which can be divided into four major categories according to time and theme:

 

 

From 2002 to 2012, Zou’s artistic creation is themed on a unique symbol -- “fingerprints”. During almost ten years, he had produced 15 series of fingerprint works. His core idea is to adopt the research methodology of western semiology to decipher the unique symbol -- “fingerprint”. From 2010 to 2015, his artistic creation changes direction to focus on the contemporary combination of traditional Chinese way of thinking and modern western art, in pursuit of a Chinese international contemporary artistic school. His efforts were shown in his solo exhibition The Secret to Clouds and Mountains staged in Today Art Museum. From 2015 onwards, Zou’s artistic creation was changed into sci-tech art, discussing the topic of the possibility of art in our future featuring big data and science and technology. He has not only produced lots of sci-tech artistic works, but also owned three independent patents of scientific inventions. From 2016 onwards, Zou’s artistic creation not only focuses on the body of traditional art, but also expands to the level of “social sculptures”. In 2016, he made joint efforts with Today Art Museum and Lenovo ThinkPad to initiate an international art navigation project Self-consciousness/Call for Actions. In 2017, he took the project to attend the parallel exhibition MODUS of the 57th Venice Biennial and won positive comments from worldwide. This exhibition was considered by Vogue and Vanity Fair as the most worthy parallel exhibition during the Biennial. The President of Venice Biennial and the President of the parallel exhibition sent letters of congratulations respectively. During the Russia World Cup which was just concluded, Zou attended an on-line video show New Three-taste Liaozhai set up by Mr. Liu Jianhong, the famous football anchorer. He was invited to comment on art and football during the 12-series show with 200 million person times video-on-demand. The social sculpture works of Zou are intended to make artistic creation as a transitional methodology instead of an ultimate purpose, so that art can be related with more people and has its own temperature and attitude.

 

Zou Cao

2004 Master Degree at fine arts college at Northeast Normal University

2008 Doctor Degree of Philosopher at Jilin University

2007 Is teaching at Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts University

2011 Postdoctoral Degree at Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts University

Solo Exhibitions

2018

Being through Nothing                        Beijing Art Now Gallery  Beijing, China

2015

Yunshan formula                                Today Art Museum  Beijing, China

2014

Fingerprint ＆ Context                              ZHC art center   Beijing, China

Strange and familiar”        ArtOne Shop 13, M/F Convention plaza  Hongkong, China

2012  

 “Art and Commerce”                 Werkstatt-Galerie Kappich  Hamburg Germany

 “Landscape under the thumb”                Michael Schultz Gallery  Beijing, China

  

2011

“Perfect”                                    Michael Schultz Gallery  Seoul, Korea             

“Authentic peerlessness”                     Kunsthalle Dresden  Dresden,Germany

2010

“Identity”                                    Michael Schultz gallery  Beijing, China

“Timeless classic”                            Von Lintel Gallery  New York, America

“Marilyn beneath the middle finger”         Contemporary Art Space  Salzburg, Austria

2009 

“These are only some fingerprints!”     Stiftung Starke  Löwenpalais   erlin, Germany         

“Fingerprints”                                Michael Schultz Gallery  Seoul, Korea

 

2008

“The New Art that overtakes Pop-Art”            Modern Art Gallery   aizhong, Taiwan

2007

“Decoding the Code of Signs”                      Pan&Wei Gallery   Beijing, China

“East is Red”                                Wellington Gallery   Hongkong, China

Group Exhibitions:

2017

What Has To Be Done                            Today Art Museum  Beijing, China

The fifty-seventh Venice Biennale,                                      Venice, Italy

Boundless:Ongoing-ChineseInk Art 2017      Art Museum of Sichuan Fine Art Institute, hongqing

2016

Humanistic Nature and Society – An Insight into the Future                                                                                                      Shanghai Himalayas Museum shanghai, China

2015

Ink Painting and Construction of Contemporary Chinese Art

 Chinese American Museum Los Angeles , America

2013

The Zero State—2013 First China Installation Art Biennale      Tianjin Museum , Tianjin

A New Spirit in Ink—contemporary space ink 2013,Beijing        Beijing,MOCA Beijing

Insightful Charisma-Shanghai Himalayas Museum Inaugural Exhibition Shanghai, China

2012

Biennale Italia-Cina                                                   Monza,Italy  

The Armory Show Art Fair                                       New York, America

Art Fair Cologne                                               Cologne, Germany

2011

The fifty-fourth Venice Biennale,                                       Venice, Italy

Mountains Beyond Mountains- Contemporary Art Exhibition Enjoy Museum Beijing,China

“Face”                                 Augsburg City Museum  Augsburg,Germany

The Armory Show Art Fair                                       New York, America

Eastside—Current Positions of Chinese Art   Michael Schultz Gallery  Berlin, Germany

2010

“All the Great Modem things Chinese pop“    Galerie Schrade·Schloß Mochental Germany

“China Welcomes you”                Stadtmuseum Oldenburg  Oldenburg,Germany 

“Armory Art Fair”                                               New York,America

2009

“All the Great ModernThings - China Total”     Kunsthalle Rostock  Rostock, Germany

“All the Great ModernThings - Chinese Pop”   Kunsthalle Dominikanerkirche

Osnabruck, Germany

 “Pieces of my puzzle”                       Kunsthalle Rostock,  Rostock,Germany

“Art in superstar “                       Art Center Hangaram Museum  Seoul, Korea

“Discovery”                                  Beijing found museum  Beijing, China

 

2008

“Chinese Contemporary”                   Kunsthalle Dresden   Dresden, Germany

“Lovely Blossoms and Full Moon”-- Yuz Collection of Chinese Contemporary Art

 Yu Deyao Museum  Jakarta, Indonesia

”Art History of miles away”                      Beijing found museum  Beijing,China

2007

“The diverged Generation”, Art of the late 1970’s                       Beijing, China

“Made in Beijing”-- Academy Exhibition    Korean Hong Ik University of Modern Fine Arts Museum   Seoul, Korea

2003

 “China International. The Fourth “OPEN” Performance Festival      Changchun, China

2002 

“The First Biennial Video Exhibition”                                   Tel Aviv,Israel

Public Collections
Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China   
Shanghai Himalayas Museum, Shanghai, China
Walter Art Museum, Augsburg, Germany  
Indonesia Yuz Museum of Art, Jakarta, Indonesia 

The Pacific Fund Collection