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