37 x 33
Curatorial Statement
by Nikolaus Ellrodt
The idea of this exhibition started from a very simple demand of two Italian collectors, who asked for portraits in one particular size. Zhou Tiehai created the work in 37 x 33 cm that later became the first small portrait in their collection. Inspired by the unique size of the work, over the years, the two collectors continue to commission works of art created in 37 x 33 cm – a size which cannot be readily found on the artist’s stock. That is, works created in the particular size would be a special commission.
I reckoned that it would be a very interesting exhibition to ask many artists to create works with these two parameters, the size 37 x 33 cm and that the subject is some kind of portrait – leaving it up to them how they express portraiture and what medium they would prefer to use. An almost even participation of female artists was important to me, artists of all stages of their careers the same, including some very young artists – some of them even self-taught and not immersed in the art world at all.
It is up to you to judge if this experiment becomes a vivid and compelling mirror of the current art scene of China.
