04/23/2020
On April 11th, 2020, in the midst of the global pandemic that has shuttered art galleries, museums and just about every opportunity for artistic intersection in “real-time,” Plus Gallery Director Ivar Zeile took the opportunity to record a lengthy telephone/skype interview with artist Xi Zhang. The purpose is to seek insight into his current art practice, philosophy and to explore the large, profound body of work "Metallic Leaf Garden" that he’s been immersed in since 2014.
The recording is being structured as a new "visual podcast" series, with direct views and simulations of Xi's various exhibitions over the last few years. The series offers a new way of looking at the Zhang’s paintings in the online space, stepping beyond traditional static image representations on social media and websites. It’s an elaborate work in progress, which will be released over time and also a new way to reflect on artwork when the opportunity to view in person is limited, whether by a pandemic or simply locations that are outside of our direct community.
The initial segment references Zhang's current exhibition "Dream Dust Milkshake," recently hosted at the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah. The visual simulation is constructed through interior views utilizing walls that might be familiar to long-time followers of our program, we could think of no better environment to bring this exhibition to life in a manner befitting the artwork.
