Booth 2F06
Venue: West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center (7, Longyao Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai)

Blindspot Gallery is pleased to return to West Bund Art & Design 2025, featuring the solo presentation of artist Zhang Wenzhi. The booth will feature his latest works, including ink paintings, folding screen, long scrolls, and sculptures. Zhang’s practice is rooted in the historical, geographical, and cultural landscape of his hometown Dalian, a portal through which he delves into the Northeast China region and the imprints of colonialism it bears. The cultural history of the region dating to the early 20th century and the subsequent industrialization and modernization of the area are fundamental to Zhang’s practice. He uses ink as a primary medium of painting, integrating elements of folklore, legends, and archival materials to explore history through a contemporary lens, excavating the derelict and forgotten amid power shifts and urbanization.

Zhang’s latest paintings meander through the coastal areas of Fujian and Guangdong, cruising up North with Mazu, the Chinese goddess of the sea, passing through Dalian and advancing to Changbai Mountain, before finally arriving at Sakhalin (a present-day part of Russia). The scenes take us through mountains and seas, tracing the Northeast region’s colonial history while trailing trade routes, channels of belief dissemination, pathways of industrialization, and the environmental exploitation that ensued. The narratives in his paintings confront colonial traumas and underline the interconnections between humans and nature.