Back in 2003, ZHANG Qing performed Taxi Samba for the very first time in Return NatureⅡ: Pastoral in Nanjing, where ten taxies were designed to wait on two lines like ballroom dancing. Accompanied by sharp noise, they started and braked violently to dance a “taxi samba” when viewers were allowed to experience hazard within safety distance as they walked among the thrilling and overwhelming performance. Later in 2004, it was repeated in Shanghai Surprise in Munich and the video displayed in exhibition today was made exactly during that show in Germany. Taxi Samba stands as a challenge by artist to common sense. In general, taxi is nothing but a mode of transport. In this piece, however, it is redefined as a crazy tool whose danger of uncontrollability at any time becomes a source of experience rarely acquired by the viewers.
The exhibitions that displayed Taxi Samba included Return Nature Ⅱ: Pastoral in Shenghua Arts Centre in Nanjing, Shanghai Surprise in Munich and Big Draft-Shanghai in Kunstmuseum Bern and so forth.
Detail pictures:
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