Hong Hao My Things
Tian-B, 2008.
Reality continues to inspire our desires, we, as humans have already established an interdependent relationship with substances, a relationship so strong its formation is almost inevitable. Nevertheless, this is where our civilisation was built upon.
My Things No. 1, 2001.
My Things No. 7, 2004.
My Things No.5, 2001.
Book – Keeping of 2007 B.
My Things 04-05A, 2007.
Red Re-Production, 2007.
Book - Keeping of 2007 B.
About Circle No. 4, 2001.
Bottom No. 4, 2004.
Artist's Statement
My Things, a project that I started from 2001, is a photography series created by scanning objects. I’ve been working on this project for 12 years. Twelve years, in Chinese traditional concept, represents the period of transmigration in cycles of different fate and destiny. The process of producing works of this series is an assignment associated with one’s life trace.
Day by day, I put my daily consumed objects into a scanner piece by piece, like keeping a visual diary. After scanning the original objects, I’ll save them in digital forms and categorise these digital files into different folders in my PC, in order to make a collage of them later on. This task, like yogi’s daily practice, has become a habit in my day-to-day life as well as a tool to observe the human condition in contemporary consumer society. The very action of scanning, through which an intimate relationship between objects and human beings is established, embodies an accurate objectivity, reducibility and a sense of evidence. By this practice, I gathered fundamental data of contemporary life and made an inventory of vital social essence through personal experience. I believe this action will stimulate a desire of self-reflection from us, and an attitude to question the logic of consumption and development.
Contemporary consumerism embodies a concept of ideology and a political and economic collusion strategy; these values were somehow made very legitimate and logical, like how consumerism has been used as the driving force behind social development and stability. A big part of our consumer demand is a result of social needs; it allows us to act “era-appropriately”. Reality continues to inspire our desires, we, as humans have already established an interdependent relationship with substances, a relationship so strong its formation is almost inevitable. Nevertheless, this is where our civilisation was built upon.
About the photographer
1965, Beijing, China
Chinese
Beijing, China
Hong Hao graduated in 1989 with a BA majoring in the Printmaking Department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing.
Solo shows:
- Hong Hao Pace Beijing, Beijing, China, 2013
- Bottom Beijing Commune, Beijing, China, 2009
- Hong Hao’s Elegant Gathering, Chambers Fine Art, New York USA, 2007
- Hong Hao’s Reading Room, Chambers Fine Art, New York, USA, 2004
- Hong Hao at Les Rencontres d’Arles 2003 Arles, France, 2003
Selected group shows:
- Martell Artist of the Year, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China, 2013
- The Global Contemporary. Kunstwelten nach 1989, ZKM Museum für Neue Kunst, Germany, 2011
- Mappamundi, Museum Coleçao Berardo, Lisbon, Portugal, 2011
- Between Here and There: Passages in Contemporary Photography, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA, 2010
- Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture Shenzhen, China, 2009
- Guangzhou International Photography Biennale Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China, 2009
- Our Future, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China, 2008
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA, 2007
- The 5th Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queenstand Art Gallery Queenstand Australia, 2006
- Mahjong Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern, Switzerland Hamburg Contemporary Kunst Museum, Hamburg Germany, 2005-2006
- FAIRY TALES FOREVER AROS, Arhus Kunstmuseum, Arhus, Denmark, 2005
- The Chinese. Contemporary Photography and Video From China, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany, 2004
- First Guangzhou, Triennial Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou China, 2002
- 1st CHENGDU BIENNALE, Chengdu Modern Art Exhibition Hall, Chengdu, China, 2001
- Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai Art Museum, China, 2000
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, USA, 1998-2000
- 19th Les Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie Arles, France, 1998
Consumption Shortlist
Michael Schmidt, Lebensmittel, 2006-2010
Adam Bartos, Yard Sale, 2008
Motoyuki Daifu, Project Family, 2007-2011
Rineke Dijkstra, Almerisa, 1994-2008
Hong Hao, My Things, 2001-2009
Mishka Henner, Beef & Oil, 2013
Boris Mikhailov, Tea, Coffee & Cappuccino, 2000-2010
Abraham Oghobase, Untitled, 2012
Allan Sekula, Fish Story, 1988 -1995
Laurie Simmons, The Love Doll, 2010