Zou Zhao 邹肇

“ I use sound as a metaphor for the body, exploring the concept of ‘autonomy’ surrounding language, ideology, subjectivity, and translation. ”

— Zou Zhao

Originally from Hubei, China, Zou Zhao is based in New York City and Singapore. In 2017, she graduated from the visual arts master’s program at Columbia University. Her interest in language stems from the direct experiences of the Chinese diaspora in various cities where she resided. Focusing on the gap between English and Chinese, her diverse works examine the role of language in the global symbolic system, particularly in the context of post-colonial knowledge distribution. 

Zou Zhao employs performance, video, and writing to delve into the materiality of sound, exploring issues related to language, ideology, subjectivity, and translation. Her acts, or “gestures”, signify the intricacies of what things are called, and the relationship between the subject and others. Performances are bound by time, and as the act of ‘translation’ is in progress, the transformation of the subject unfolds simultaneously. Her works reveal the relationship between ideology and language through the process of ‘listening.’ Through ‘performance,’ she scrutinizes the concept of the ‘body’ as the ‘truth,’ covering aspects of text, images, and ‘performances’ in contemporary society.

Her works have been exhibited at various venues, including: no.where, London (2014); Ho Xiang Ning Art Museum, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China (2014); Camden Arts Centre, London (2013). Additional exhibitions include World Before the Eyes, Singapore Contemporary Art Institute (2016); On the Threshold of Listening, Old Parliament House, Singapore International Festival of Arts (2017); Americans 2017, Luma Foundation (2017); Constance Gallery, New York City (2018); Niman Gallery, New York (2018); Jewish Museum, New York (2018).