Celestial-cranial Instrument: Nine-stringed Quadrant

2022-2023
brass, aluminum, stainless steel wires
Φ300×182(h) cm

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The Celestial-cranial Instrument series is inspired by the ancient Chinese ways of seeing that aim to “capture that which is available immediately as well as that which is beyond.” Measuring the length of one's shadow in daylight, our ancestors “treat the body as a ruler”; observing stars and celestial objects at night, they “consider constellations as the model par excellence.” Chen Zhe traces cranial sutures and forms of various astronomical instruments from different civilizations, creating a series of golden installations that lead to mysterious orders. The lively cranial elements and the sophisticated structural aspect speak respectively to the bodily and the rational — two pathways through which one can observe the cosmos. In the series of Celestial-cranial Instrument, the pairing of the human body and the stars can be considered at once a puzzle and an answer.

星骨仪：九弦角限琴

2022-2023
黄铜，铝，不锈钢丝
Φ300×182(h) cm

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《星骨仪》系列受启于古人“近取诸身，远取诸物”的观象方法——白天阅读自己在日光下的影长，“以身为度”；夜晚观测天幕上的星斗，“圭臬星经”。融合了人的颅缝构造与古今中外的天文仪器，艺术家创造出一系列通向神秘秩序的金色装置。其中，鲜活的骨相写生与精密的造型结构分别借由人的身体与理性两种度量衡实现了我们对宇宙的观看。人体与星空的关系，在这组作品中，既可以作为解谜的工具，同样也是秘密本身。