Discover Zhou Siwei's Exhibition: I Sold What I Grow, Exploring Contemporary Chinese Life at Secession

Zhou Siwei's exhibition 'I Sold What I Grow' translates the contradictions of contemporary Chinese life into playful, fragmented works on canvas and painted objects. The exhibition explores themes of digital technology, global commerce, and late-capitalist insomnia through diverse visual and cultural influences.

The exhibition 'I Sold What I Grow' by Zhou Siwei presents new works that delve into the complexities of contemporary life, particularly in China, through art that is both playful and deeply reflective. Siwei translates the contradictions of living and working in today's China into art displayed on canvas and painted objects, engaging with the ambiguities of digital technologies, the constant flow of global goods, and the sleeplessness of late capitalism. The show is structured around the motif of the apple, referencing its historical and contemporary significance, from still-life paintings to its presence in 'i-products'. Across three distinct gallery spaces, visitors encounter various constellations of objects and contemplative areas. The first space explores themes of dreams and fantasy, featuring works like 'APPLE (EV SLEEP naked)' and 'Tattoo (Drifting Flame Malevich)', which blend personal, technological, and art historical references. Surrounding these are painted objects resembling smartphone and iPad cases, 3D-printed from organic materials, reflecting on the intimate interface between users and their devices, and the standardized forms of 'personalization'. The exhibition further investigates language and marking, with titles reduced to nouns and inscriptions on the objects themselves, prompting viewer interpretation. The subsequent spaces deepen these explorations, connecting figuration, myth, and the apple motif with diverse stylistic and material considerations, including modernist grids and expressive brushwork. The final work encapsulates the exhibition's critical examination of unstable signs and the fragmented present, questioning the forces pulling society between a nostalgic past and an idealized digital future, mirroring the 'broken' English of the title itself.

Information regarding tickets can be found via a link to the Secession shop. General opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM, with the venue being open today. Further details on admission and ticketing are available through the provided link.