Yang Zhichao

Yang Zhichao (simplified Chinese: 杨志超; traditional Chinese: 楊志超; pinyin: Yáng Zhìchāo; born 1963) is a Chinese multi-disciplinary performance artist.

Yang’s work focuses on how the human body is perceived and used in different environments, contrasting its role as a labor tool in rural Gansu with its function within the industrialized context of urban Beijing. Through his performance art, Yang uses his own body to address social issues, illustrating his view that in the modern era the body is often treated as subject to societal and state control rather than as solely personal property. Some of his performances have involved provocative acts, including staged surgical procedures performed without anesthesia.

Notable works Planting Grass (2000) involved nurses inserting grass into the artist's skin without anesthesia during the Fuck Off exhibit at the Eastlink Gallery warehouse in Shanghai. Iron (2000) in Beijing, China, involved the artist being branded with his own identification number. Hide (2004) in Beijing, China, explored the human body's compatibility with nature and technology, drawing inspiration from manufactured prosthetics. Artist Ai Weiwei surgically implanted an unspecified metal object into Yang Zhichao's thigh without anesthesia, China Red (2005–2006) saw Yang paint on silk using drops of blood mixed with ink and mineral pigments to reflect his experience of daily life in the countries, where he performed the work (the UK & Germany). Chinese Bible (2009) was a collection of notebooks and diaries collected by the artist, mostly from Panjiayuan Market in Beijing. Dating from 1949 to 1999, the books contained the personal writings of generations of Chinese, which the artist used to represent the personal experiences of everyday people during a century of political upheaval. Love Story (2016) offers insight into intimacy by documenting Yang's relationship with his wife, Zhang Lan. Since 1996, the artist has kept a record of every time he has sex with his wife, initially using a collection of punch cards to record the time, day, and length of coitus. The work, which began as a private project, grew into an illustrated diary, including information and details of other personal events. It was released to the public on its 20th anniversary in 2016. 2015: Chinese Bible, Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Sydney, Australia 2012: Art Patent Office – Yang Zhichao archives, Li-Space, Beijing, China 2011: Chinese Bible, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong, China 2009: Chinese Bible, China Art Archives & Warehouse, Beijing, China

Selected group shows Source: 2013: Parallel Lives: China/Hong Kong (with Douglas Young), 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong, China 2012: Living·Being, Songzhuang Art Center, Beijing, China 2008: Inward Gazes-Documentaries of Chinese Performance Arts, Macau Museum of Art, Macau, China 2006: Performance Red!, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Germany 2005–2006: Conspire, TS1 Gallery, Beijing, China 2005: China Live, UK touring show, 13–28 October 2005, which visited Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Manchester; Greenroom, Manchester; Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry; Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead; Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool; Colchester Arts Centre, Colchester; Arnolfini, Bristol; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2004: Dadao Live Art Festival, Jianwai SOHO, Beijing, China 2003: Live Art Festival, Beijing, China 2003: Distance, Guangdong Museum of Contemporary Art, Guangzhou, China 2000: Fuck Off, Eastlink Gallery, Shanghai, China