Proxy II (Beetles)
2016 - Photography (Photography)
111 x 74 cm
Robert Zhao Renhui
The photograph Proxy II (Beetles) by Robert Zhao Renhui belongs to a series, titled Christmas Island, Naturally, that focuses on the ecology of Christmas Island; a remote volcanic land formation in the Indian Ocean. Since the first settlements in the late 19th century, the ecosystems of Christmas Island have undergone devastating alterations. After nearly 150 years of human settlement, a number of invasive species have been unwittingly introduced to the island. This has severely compromised its vulnerable biodiversity, which has endangered the island’s wildlife and caused the extinction of a number of native species. As a result, biocontrol strategies have been undertaken in an attempt to restore the delicate balance of the island’s natural biodiversity. Proxy II (Beetles) features a striking, silver bird on Christmas Island. The overexposure of the photograph creates an artificial setting, separating the subject from its natural habitat, and reinforcing the abnormality of the situation. In the photograph, the bird’s face is obscured by its wing, making it less identifiable to the average viewer. Zhao does not indicate whether this particular bird is an endangered or invasive species to the island, suspending the ability to evaluate the animal’s value. The work initiates reflections on the meanings of survival, the consequences of globalism, the complex and ever shifting relationships between humans and animals, and society and nature.
Robert Zhao Renhui’s multimedia practice questions fact-based presentations of ecological conservation and reveals the manner in which documentary, journalistic, and scientific reports sensationalize nature in order to elicit viewer sympathy. Zhao portrays humans as figures curious about their natural environment, which is at times mysterious and unpredictable. Through observing human behavior in front of animals, Zhao’s critical lens examines various modes and preconceived notions of what he calls a “zoological gaze”—the manner through which humans view animals and nature. This perspective challenges the dualistic separation between the human and the non-human worlds. Under the name of a fictional institution, The Institute of Critical Zoologists (ICZ), Zhao’s work creates visual ambiguities that destabilize assumptions about the ways in which images present facts, represent reality, and disseminate truths. Zhao was in residency at KADIST San Francisco in 2014.
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