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M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation, © Zhang Qing
On View
Mediatheque
Zhang Qing 章清
Taxi Samba 的士桑芭
2003
In Taxi Samba, Zhang Qing uses the threat of bodily harm to engage his audience. Two rows of five taxis appear in a parking lot, their unseen drivers accelerating quickly towards one another in pairs––as if to collide head on––then slamming on their brakes just before reaching a line of bricks that delineates a narrow safe space. The audience may walk in this corridor, if they dare. The whirring accelerations and screeching brakes are the only sounds to be heard. Several viewers are seen walking through the passage; some instinctively jump in fear when cars approach.
The taxis’ violent motions of lurching and braking suggest the drama of a crowded dance floor, as well as the danger that pervades everyday life. By designing the challenge and inviting viewers to place their lives in jeopardy, Zhang brings a tangible dimension of fear to art appreciation.
The taxis’ violent motions of lurching and braking suggest the drama of a crowded dance floor, as well as the danger that pervades everyday life. By designing the challenge and inviting viewers to place their lives in jeopardy, Zhang brings a tangible dimension of fear to art appreciation.
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