TANG Chao

The essence of Tang Chao’s work is like ItaloCalvino’s suggestions on lightness in literature. For instance, he refines awhole script into one sentence: “The dilemma of being in a modern island, aparadise of self-exile.” And recently: “Several delightful dots covered of aseries of weak voices.”When you focus on the tone and rhythm of the sentence,  and express it though camera, you then get the shaking focus, light and the scenes. The words are not the most important content; they are sometimes softly whispered, stuttered, or eventopsy-turvy. Of course he occasionally uses pictures, performances, installationsor dramas for expression, sometimes even typing a few letters on the keyboard. Tang Chao is good at pause and press space, press and hold for a few seconds         would be fine as well. Healways tries to release some illocutionary meaning in every blank space with astraightforward manner.

1990  Born in Hunan, China
2010-2014  BA, Studio of Experimental Image, School of Inter-Media Art, China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China
Lives and works in Shanghai, China

  • Selected Solo/Duo Exhibitions

    2026
    Tomorrow Nevermore, Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai, China

    2024
    Whimper Song No.3, Shanghai Museum of Glass, Shanghai, China

    2023
    Liste Art Fair Basel solo project at Vanguard booth, Basel, Switzerland

    2022
    Out of Sync, Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai, China
    Nights after Days, The Store, Seoul, South Korea

    2021
    Nonphysical: Shimmer (online project), Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai, China

    2017
    From Lack to Light, Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai, China

  • Selected Group Exhibitions

    2025
    Meme to Jam 2.0, J7 ART, Shanghai, China
    Kungfu Lightness, Vanguard gallery, Shanghai, China
    Recovering Time, Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China
    Kyiv International Short Film Festival, Zhovten cinema, Kyiv, Ukraine
    The carrier of information and imagination, sound art museum, Beijing, China
    Emerging Virtualities, St.Moritz Art Flim Festival, Scala cinema, Switzerland
    When filmmaking is a first language spoken to protect, The One Minutes, Isle of Skye, Britain

    2024
    Life’s Activities, Shanghai International Photography Festival & The 17th Shanghai International Photography Art Exhibition, Shanghai, China
    Vanguard Onwards, Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai, China

    2023
    Terrestrial Landing, Planet Candidates, Shanghai Biennale x Emerging Curators Project, Shanghai, China
    How Far, How Close, Aranya Art Centre, Qinhuangdao, China
    Us, amid Nature and After Nature, Art Museum Of Guangzhou Academy Of Fine Arts, Guangzhou, China
    Motion Is Action – 35 Years of Chinese Media Art, BY ART MATTERS, Hangzhou, China
    The New Survivors, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Beijing, China
    Heading West – From Shanghai to Songjiang, Then Arriving Jiangnan, Yunjian Arts Centre, Shanghai, China
    Year by Year, DEJI Art Museum, Nanjing, China

    2022
    The Pieces I Am, UCCA Edge, Shanghai, China
    Unnamed River, ZiWU the Bridge, Shanghai, China
    Night as Prelude, UCCA Sky Space, Shanghai, China
    Unnamed River, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Beijing, China
    Warehouse Story VII – On Your Mark!, Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai, China

    2021
    Within Space – Time, We Walk Through Images, Glow Shenzhen 2021 – Futian, China
    Nowness Experiments: Nocturnal Visit, Tank Shanghai No.5, Shanghai, China
    Meditation Chambers with Furniture in Motion, Bare screen x The Cloister Project, Shanghai, China
    Some Like Them Cold, Shanghai Museum of Glass, Shanghai, China
    Bare Screen, a digital video commission series by Macalline Art Center, Beijing, China
    Barometer, By Art Matters, Hangzhou, China

    2020
    The More Opinions You Have, The Less You See, Rongyi Art Museum, Shanghai, China
    Hasty Falling Time, Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève (online project)
    UN/CONVENTIONAL, OCAT Shanghai, China
    Play societies: Wolved, Lynx and Ants, Hyundai Motorstudio, Beijing, China

    2019
    Be in a Half of Maze, CAA Art Museum, Hangzhou, China
    Incandescence, Big Space x Chino gallery, Shanghai, China
    Sooner/Later, SNAP, Shanghai, China
    There Are Volcanoes Under the Sea, BLG Lab, Beijing, China
    The Racing Will Continue, The Dancing Will Stay, Times Museum, Guangzhou, China

    2018
    The Time That Remains – Room No.6, Grey Cube, Goethe Institut China, Beijing, China
    Questioning Photography Now, GCA, Chongqing, China
    Pity Party, Sleepcenter, New York, USA

    2017
    Indoors Universe – the 5th Huayu Youth Award, Huayu Art Center, Sanya, China
    Spain Moving Image Festival, Madrid, Spain
    A Map of the World that Does Not Include Utopia Is Not Worth Glancing At, Beijing Commune, Beijing, China

    2016
    Toward the Emergence of Resistance, TAIKANG Space, Beijing, China
    Shenzhen MAF, G&G Creative Community, Shenzhen, China
    You Won’t Be Young Forever, No.235 GuangFu Rd, Shanghai, China
    JIMEI·ARLES International Photo Festival, Xiamen, China

    2015
    Nowhere to Hide, Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai, China
    Nightmare of Exhibition (2nd-half), Emerging Curators Project, Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China
    Hinterland Project, Times Museum, Guangzhou, China
    Floating Garden, Meta Gallery, Shanghai, China
    New China / New Art, Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham, UK
    DiFang Gongzuo, Radical Space, Shanghai, China
    Compressed Project, Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai, China

    2014
    Enemaniae, Experimental Theater, One Space, Hangzhou, China
    Nightmare of Exhibition (1st-half), Radical Space, Shanghai, China
    Experience of Nervousness, Radical Space, Shanghai, China
    Permission, One Space, Hangzhou, China
    The Hidden Potential, Shanghai, China

    2013
    All New-formed Ones Become They Can Ossify, AM Art Space, Shanghai, China
    Enemania, Experimental Theater, Hangzhou, China
    Auto-ignition Photography Exhibition, Shao Yi’s studio, Hangzhou, China

    2012
    One meter theater, Imago-kinetics, Hangzhou, China

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