Xu Zhen
Interface — Skull of Panthera zdanskyi
Framing size : 220 × 108 cm
Materials : Hanging Scroll, ink on silk
Year : 2024
“Interface” series depicts the webpage interface showcasing Tibetan artifacts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website. The artist meticulously uses ink painting to portray details such as the navigation bar, labels, text descriptions, and images of the artifacts, emphasizing the standardization and homogeneity of the digital world. One is left to reflect on the regulation and control behind cultural exchanges.
The fossil of Panthera zdanskyi , imbued with a sense of extraterrestrial civilization, resembles a sci-fi spaceship suspended in mid-air. While the accompanying text serves as a tool for human beings to interpret and understand the object. The artist emphasizes the spirituality and the unknown aspects of the ancient fossils, juxtaposing the relationship between science and mysticism in a literati painting.