Driven by a deep humility towards nature, the work of the 1992 born artist derives much of its richness and uniqueness from sojourns in remote or extreme places. Another important factor for his high concentration and versatility are the artist’s phases of complete retreat. Meng Zhou is an observer and a seeker of cultures and their settings, as well as of the places where our cosmos seems to come closest. He camped in two different locations within the Sahara Desert—first during his journey from Egypt, and later in Morocco. In desert, he discovered traces of life, witnessing the occasional signs that emerge from the ever-repeating cycle of existence. He concludes that life may return to its mineral origins, with meteorites holding archives of past worlds, polished by time like a hidden cosmos.2022, he spent several weeks living in Guna Yala, an autonomous region on the north coast of Panama. His aim was to explore the practice of traditional crafts. The experience made him realize the importance of natural elements and how easily they can be replaced by harmful modern products. The intersection of indigenous lifestyles and modern civilization led him to rethink what truly matters, seeing the cycle of creation and decay in nature as a metaphor for our fragile connection to the environment. Establishing connections as well as a more precise understanding of information lying beneath the visible surface is an important part of the work of Meng Zhou, who never passes judgement himself, but questions our society and its structures.
A variety of techniques serve to make the ideal image of his imagination tangible and visible to the viewer. Meng uses time to draw, works on many layers of polished clam shell powder, complements found evidence of decades of natural processes with his own formal language or uses scrap metal as the basis for objects and installations. ‘Zhou navigates through time’ is the apt description in a recent article in the Taipei Times (23.8.2024 www.taipeitimes.com ). His work embodies a kind of tragic humor, where stories remain incomplete, ending in ruins or destruction. This reflects the power of uncertainty and the inevitability of an ending. Time and history become subjects to be observed, interpreted, and guessed at, despite limited information. The audience is invited into this game of hide and seek, with no need to worry about losing or failing.
Meng Zhou regularly incorporates dance as a physical, gestural world of expression into his drawings, paintings and objects. It is the study of bodies in motion that represents an extension of his artistic work. In his performance at the opening of the exhibition on 13 September 2024, Meng invited Filippo Gualandris as a transporter or traveler on an unforeseen journey, where the body became a tabula rasa, responding to randomness and emotions.
Entering the exhibition hall, silver-engraved objects scatter like seeds, adorned with ancient totems, reminiscent of shells scattered across a sandy shore. The „Vacuum“ series of paintings encircle the space like a film reel, depicting the cyclical nature of life under the vast expanse of nature. Above, wooden hands, resembling divine forces, symbolize fate’s indifferent choices, intertwining humanity’s collective destiny with threads of chance and necessity.
As one moves through the space, the symbolism of shells as currency and memory becomes a recurring theme in the artist’s work. The interplay between knot-recording and shell money weaves a narrative of journeying: objects are exchanged, stories continue, and people leave traces of their fleeting existence. Shells, collected as universal equivalents, offer entry into mythic narratives.
In the third room, enormous shells, surviving a fiery blaze, echo ancient stories, like those of the Dunhuang murals, relics eroded by time. The burnt images on wooden bases, transformed by high temperatures, narrate tales of extinction and rebirth. The wood, representing specific stories, is consumed by heat, while the flames symbolize renewal, a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Arriving in the fourth room which is opening up with glass doors into the courtyard of Pfeufer 38 the exhibition nears its end. here the artist uses „eyes“ inlaid with stones from various places to view the world, piercing nature’s cracks to reveal an impartial truth. These works, reminiscent of the Eye of Horus, remind us of the dual nature of observation: we are not only collectors of nature’s stories but also subjects under nature’s chaotic gaze. Souvenirs from different lands, filled with the essence of travel, form the exhibition’s lingering thoughts.
Il Trovatore is an excerpt from Meng Zhou’s complex universe, which is characterised by its complexity and inexhaustibility. For the third solo presentation this year, the artist has once again succeeded in creating a completely new series of works that takes visitors of the exhibition on a journey.
Exhibition: Meng Zhou周蒙 – Il Trovatore
Opening: 13 September 2024, 6:00 pm With a dance performance by Filippo Gualandris, 7:00 pm
Exhibition duration: 13 September – 11 October 2024
Address: Pfeuferstraße 38, 81373 Munich
Blue Mountain Contemporary Art – www.bmca-art.com
