A digital archive of Asian/Asian American contemporary art history

Subzero New York

December, 13 1998
performance art

Performance piece carried out in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan in December 1998 with Susan Greenwell.

"For the piece Zheng soaked his body and hair in cold water and then covered himself with flour. Susan wore a black Chinese cheongsam dress (qipao). Zheng then sprinkled flour to create two large circles of equal size on the cobblestone street, placed several colored balloons in them, and splashed water in the circle in which Susan would stand.

Zheng, holding a mask, slowly walked into the first circle, all the while holding the gaze [of] Susan in the other circle. Then he entered the circle she occupied where they exchanged the mask slowly over time, maintaining their mutual gaze. Zheng then exited her circle carrying the mask and returned to the first circle and continued to look at Susan. The entire performance piece lasted forty minutes without a word spoken."

--Description from Zheng Lianjie

Techniques

performances

Style/Period

body art; performance art
Subzero New York
Subzero New York
Source: Slide
Subzero New York Subzero New York