L’ADAC is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of a catalogue raisonne on the work of Chen Zhen, scheduled for 2010.

In order to honor and rebirth the memory of Chen Zhen, the publication of a catalogue raisonne appeared to be the most beautiful tribute one could pay to the artist and its art. Indeed, it will allow us to gather and list all his works and projects (there are more than 400 known to this day) from 1986 ( the date he settled in France) until 2000. The catalogue raisonne, due to its thorough documentation of his life’s production, will allow us to bring a scientific quality to the knowledge of Chen Zhen’s work. Its goal is therefore to encourage further anylistic criticism and research, with the catalogue raisonne being the starting point to further study and stimulating new thoughts on his body of work, which now belongs to art history.

This ambitious project, which is so important to those of us working on it, requires, in addition to a massive research and documentation effort, the help of those (friends, colleagues, artists, curators, museums directors..) who had the opportunity to meet him, to talk about his work and to support him.

This is why we are solliciting your help in order to gather as much accurate information as possible on the works of Chen you may own, previously owned, or if you had an involvement in an exhibition that was made possible through your assistance or sponsorship and that we might not be aware of.

It is with this in mind that we kindly request your contacting our team so we do not omit any of this great artist work.

Like Chen Zhen was as generous as he was open minded, and under the supervision of his widow, Xu Min, this catalogue raisonne will therefore be the result of a community collaboration of all those who followed him or were by his side during his projects, thereby making each of you part of the research and archiving job, that will make this project complete and allow the work of Chen Zhen to take its rightful place in history.

The ADAC "Association of Chen Zhen's friends" was established in 2003
with the aim to creating a link between all the friends of Chen Zhen
and all those who have been close to and supported Chen Zhen's oeuvre.
The Association is also promoting the diffusion of a deeper knowledge
of Chen Zhen's work specially involving all those who would like to approach it.

In the recent years, after the death of Chen Zhen, also thanks to the activity of the ADAC,
Chen Zhen's work has been shown extensively in numerous exhibitions around the world,
well documented in several articles and pubblications and is now widely known and appreciated.

In 2003 the Association has also contributed to the realisation of the catalogue
«Chen Zhen. Invocation of Washing Fire». This important publication has represented
a pivotal step in the analysis and the survey of the complexity of Chen Zhen's work

RECENT SHOWS

1- 19/03/2009 - 14/06/2009

Un Certain état du Monde?

A Selection of Works From François Pinault Foundation Collection, at The Garage, Moscow.

On show: Chen Zhen "Jue Chang, Dancing Body - Drumming Mind (The Last Song)", 2000.

2- 15/05/2009 - 23/11/2009

"Glass Stress", Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti, Venezia.

On show: Chen Zhen "Crystal Landscape of Inner Body", 2000

3- 07/06/2009 - 22/11/2009

"Making Worlds/Fare Mondi", 53rd International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Giardini della Biennale.

In occasion of the show the project: Chen Zhen "Back to Fullness, Face to Emptiness", 1997
has been realized.

4- 16/10/2009 - 10/01/2010 - Deadline

"Deadline", Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris.

On show:

Chen Zhen "Etude des organes pour “Zen Garden” n. 2", 2000

Chen Zhen "Etude pour “Zen Garden” n . 2", 2000

Chen Zhen "Autel de lumière", 1999

Chen Zhen "Exciting Delivery", 1999

Chen Zhen "Crystal Gazing", 1999

ON SHOW

1- In occasion of the show:

Green from Scratch, Shenzhen Hongkong Bi-City Biennale,
Yitian Holiday Plaza, Shenzhen, China
December 06, 2009 - February 28, 2010

The project: Chen Zhen "Danser la musique", 2000
has been realized.

English text

French text

FUTURE SHOWS

FUTURE PROJECTS

1- "Garden of Double Turtles", 1997
Project that will be realized at the Parc de Saint Cloud, France

PERMANENT WORKS

"La Danse de la Fontaine Emergente" (1998-2008)
Stainless steel, glass, polystyrene, water, light
Place Augusta Holmes, Paris 13th (Left Bank)
Public commission by the Management of Cultural Affairs of the City of Paris.
Produced in partnership with SEMAPA.

Unveiled on 12th February 2008, in the presence of Christophe Girard, Deputy Mayor responsible for Culture, and Jérôme Coumet, the Mayor of the 13th district, Chen Zhen’s work of art marks the strong link uniting Paris to the Asian community which has historically settled in the district.

The ‘Gushing Fountain’ by Chen Zhen takes the shape of a dragon, of which the twists and turns of the tail develop in the heart of the new architecture which rises on the balcony of the Quai d’Austerlitz. Taking place above the underground Eaux de Paris factory, the dragon’s body, ‘rising and disappearing, sinking in the earth and shooting up in the air’, symbolises the continual and energetic flow of the hydraulic network which runs over the site, and with its lights illuminates the glints of the megalopolis. It is ‘the life and soul of the place…’.

"I highlight this convergence of the dynamism of the water in this precise context and the energetic emergence of the relationship between water and the town, man and his universe." (Chen Zhen)

Collectors and institutions with any information are asked to kindly contact:

ADAC - Association des Amis de Chen Zhen
3 allée Marc Chagall
75013 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)9 54 77 22 92
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Web: www.chenzhen.org
Email: chenzhenadac@free.fr