Chen Zhen. Catalogue Raisonné

Chen Zhen (Shanghai, 1955 - Paris, 2000) was a privileged witness to economic and cultural globalisation and in particular to the gap between China and the western world. A stranger in his own country and a foreigner in France, where he moved in 1986, Chen Zhen has sought his own way while remaining on the margins of two systems. In the context of this “double exile”, he has found himself particularly ready for cultural assimilation, which has become the founding element of his creative inspiration. Chen Zhen's works question the world, humanity and its relationship to the environment in order to establish a dialogue and foster a transcultural mentality - a new language, a new way of life that takes into account a spiritual and technological, material and immaterial dimension. This catalogue raisonné offers new possibilities for analysing and comparing Chen Zhen's entire oeuvre. Since 2008, a team of researchers has undertaken a meticulous and systematic study of his archives in collaboration with collectors, galleries, museums, public and private institutions, exhibition curators and friends of the artist. The catalogue raisonné of Chen Zhen presents the complete inventory of the artist's authentic works, catalogued in chronological order in two volumes: the first covers the years 1977-1996, the second runs from 1997 to 2000.