Zhou Tao, known for his unique approach that blends documentary and poetic visual language, is a prominent figure in the realm of experimental film and art making. His practice is characterised by a deep engagement with living environments, often depicting the subtle and unexpected interactions between people and landscape, inviting us to experience the multiple trajectories of reality.

To inaugurate Zhou’s newly commissioned film for the M+ Facade Jade Jadeite (2024), this screening will feature two award-winning films, that highlight Zhou’s documentarian approach in capturing surreal landscapes that one could call ‘documenting dreamscapes’.

In the first film, The Worldly Cave (2017), Zhou delves into the mundanity of urban life, strategically turning everyday scenes into extraordinary visual experiences by unfolding the hidden beauty. In the second film, The Periphery of the Base (2024), Zhou shifts his focus to the heart ofthe Gobi Desert, where the constructed and the wild collide. With a meticulous attention to detail and an unflinching gaze, Zhou invites viewers to contemplate the often-unseen dynamics of the complex interactions between human activity and nature. Together, these films create a profound commentary on the intersections of modern life and the natural world.

The screening will be followed by a post-screening talk by Zhou Tao, moderated by M+ Assistant Curator, Visual Art, Ariadne Long in Mandarin.

Zhou Tao (b. 1976, Hunan) is a filmmaker and moving image artist based in Guangzhou. After graduating from the oil painting department in the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art in 2001, he acquired his master’s degree in mixed-media studies in 2006. Zhou’s films have reached international audiences in numerous film festivals, including the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, 72nd Locarno Film Festival, and he received the 46th Cinéma du Réel International Film Festival-Short Film Award 2024 for The Periphery of the Base. His works have been featured in M+, Hong Kong, 2023; Guangdong Times Museum, Guangzhou, 2019; 57th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, 2017; Sharjah Biennial 13, Sharjah, 2017; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 2016; APT8, Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Brisbane, 2015.