Zhang Meng sees this exhibition as a small mid-career retrospective, presenting his primary works from the last twelve years. In particular, his new media pieces and a small number of ink paintings constitute the core of this exhibition. One of the earliest pieces in the show is“Mongolia” series. Zhang Meng used this series to elaborate a “slow” creative process and to reference this feeling of malaise; he could not have confidence in anything or believe in anything, such that he felt both empty and infallible.

Similar to the “Mongolia” series, Green Bean Heaven is a series in progress. To date, there are three films in the series, Bird World, Ball World, and Watermelon World, and all will be exhibited. This imagery largely comes from Zhang’s childhood experiences and memories; he was once reprimanded by his mother for leaving an unripe watermelon by the side of the road, and so the image of the watermelon has permeated his texts and artworks in a variety of ways. Duliujian River and Qilihai were created in 2012. Beginning with these two films, Zhang experimented with filming on-site, which serves as some foreshadowing of a future in which Green Bean Heaven will be made into a movie.

The most recent piece in this exhibition, Fierce Tigers with Golden Chains, was still being made a month before the opening. Actually, this piece has been in progress for more than a year. Through this work, we can see the artist’s sense of crisis, which stems from the unease that has risen in Zhang as his work has gradually received more attention in recent years.