Onward! Onward! Onward!
Project Description
Onward! Onward! Onward! is a large-scale installation by Chinese artist Jiang Zhi (b. 1971, Yuanjiang, China), whose multidisciplinary practice spans photography, painting, video, installation and literary publishing. His work explores contemporary social and cultural conditions in China, examining the relationship between technology, perception, individual experience and the rapidly changing structures of modern life.
Presented as part of the group exhibition There is no ‘I’ in Team, the work brings together Jiang Zhi’s interest in digital imagery, social observation and the psychological conditions of contemporary society. The installation considers the relationship between individual and collective identity, creating a space in which personal experience becomes connected to wider social structures.
A key example of Jiang Zhi’s approach is his image of the Chongqing house popularly known as the “House of Nails”. Standing beneath harsh neon light while the surrounding neighbourhood is demolished, the house became a symbol of resistance to forced displacement and rapid urban development. Jiang transforms this documentary subject through digital manipulation, combining technological imagery with a pointed reflection on resilience, attachment and the conflict between old and new.
The work resonates with the experience of China’s rapid urbanisation, where established communities and individual lives have been reshaped by large-scale redevelopment. The house becomes both a physical structure and a metaphor for identity, suggesting the difficulty of maintaining personal space and memory in the face of overwhelming social and economic forces.
Jiang Zhi’s practice moves between the personal and the social, using photography, moving image and installation to examine how technology influences perception and how individuals negotiate the systems in which they live. His work combines poetic and sociological approaches, allowing seemingly specific situations to open onto broader questions of modernity, collectivism and individual experience.
Bio
Jiang Zhi (b. 1971, Yuanjiang, China) is a contemporary Chinese artist whose multidisciplinary practice encompasses photography, painting, video, installation and literary publishing. His work explores the relationship between individual experience and broader social, political and technological transformations, with a particular interest in perception, memory, modern consciousness and the changing landscape of contemporary China.
Jiang Zhi has exhibited internationally at institutions including the Guggenheim Museum, New York; M+ in Hong Kong; and the Venice Biennale. He has participated in the 9th Shanghai Biennale and 4th Guangzhou Triennial, and has held major retrospectives at OCAT Shenzhen and Times Museum, Guangzhou. His work is held in international collections including the Guggenheim Museum, Hammer Museum and Astrup Fearnley Museet. He has received awards including the Chinese Contemporary Art Award and the Credit Suisse Today Art Award.
Project details
Year: 2008-2009
Artist: Jiang Zhi
Work: Onward! Onward! Onward!
Exhibition: There is no ‘I’ in Team
Curators: Keith Whittle; Keri Elmsly; Pauline Doutreluingne; Jian Jiang
Venues: BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and off-site venues, Newcastle and Gateshead
Subsequent venues: Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Program E.V., Berlin
Format: Large-scale public- realm installation
Programme: CHINA NOW; EAST’08
Partners: ISIS Arts; Newcastle City Council
Support: Culture 10; British Council China
Country: United Kingdom