Doll face

Jeffrey Deitch invented the term "post-human" in 1992 to define an artistic current relating to a world of transformation, manipulation and contrivance. The post-human condition is a consequence of scientific and technological advancement, especially in the field of genetics.

Post-human artists, including among others, Matthew Barney and Jeff Koons, are no longer bound to original appearance, as we now have the opportunity to rebuild and totally change ourselves, passing from a natural human evolution to an artificial one.

The original art works of the young Swiss artist Saul Zanolari, who has absorbed the characteristics of the Post-human current to perfection, will present his first solo exhibition in China at F2 Gallery in Beijing from March 1 to 31.

Zanolari's technique, which cannot be placed in a common artistic language, takes the observer by surprise, since his works are neither photographs, paintings or digital designs, but an original combination of all. He doesn't confine himself to the realism of a picture or the stillness of a painting, but strays from the classical techniques into a personal artistic code. Starting from a simple figurative picture, Zanolari digitally transforms the photo into a whole new portrait in which the protagonist's original identity is undermined by the one of his antagonist, a sort of avatar, who steals natural and human details in order to transform, exasperate or destroy them in a surreal balance between inner identity and exterior body.

Zanolari's 30-odd displayed works include a selection of the Twilight of the Goddess series, showcasing celebrities such as Madonna and Sophia Loren, as well as his 2006 series Dolls, a collection inspired by classic fairytale characters, reinterpreted in a contemporary way. With Dolls, the artist looks for new ways to report our childhood stories, showing a Little Red Riding Hood with wooden legs, a Princess and the Pea who cries silently, and an Alice in Wonderland dressed up as a fetish waitress. Zanolari was born in Mendrisio, Switzerland, in 1977, and has a degree in philosophy. His work has gained considerable attention in Rome, Milan, Paris, London, New York and Miami.

F2 Gallery, 319 Caochangdi, East Dashanzi Road, Chaoyang District. 6432-8831.

(China Daily 03/01/2008 page6)