The Face of Facebook — Zhu Jia solo exhibition

Marc Zuckerberg, the latest source of inspiration for artists?

A classic side angle portrait illustration found on the September 20 issue of the New Yorker in a text titled, “The Face of Facebook” was the starting point for the artistic endeavour in this new show,

The distinct silhouette of the side portrait, similar to those engraved on coins and stamps, inspired Chinese artist Zhu Jia. who has just opened The Face of Facebook, a multi-media project with paintings, inks, photographs at Shanghart Gallery Beijing Space.

The artist has invited over 50 friends from different professions to participate. Among them, acclaimed contemporary Chinese artists and personages from different professions such as, Liu Xiaodong, Liu Wei, Wang Guangyi, Yang Fudong, Yang Shaobin, to name a few. They contributed a portrait in their own artistic style, or in completely novel representations. Without any signatures on these artworks, it will be difficult to identify the creator of the artwork. Much like the status updates and photo albums posted by Facebook users, the real and the illusory are often intertwined.

With this exhibition, Zhu weaves a complex network of visual art. Here the concept, execution, proprietorship of the artwork, or even the friendship between the artists will be tested and challenged by the art market.