InDNA

Vida Heydari Contemporary is pleased to present ’InDNA’, a show showcasing works by two contemporary artists Lu Xinjian and Zhang Ji. Drawing upon references from both religious, and secular traditions of Indian architecture and philosophy, ‘InDNA’ highlights the artists’ transcending relationship developed with a geographically distant culture as made manifest in their latest body of works. While Zhang Ji’s canvases utilise inspirations from the spiritual, and historical richness of Indian religious architecture such as Jain and Hindu temples, and mosques, Lu Xinjian’s bird-eyed, abstract renditions of important monuments, and neighbourhoods, in his signature ‘City DNA’ series address tropes of urban planning, and expansion across time. The eclectic list of examples range from the Red Fort, Gateway of India, Kartavya Path to Marine Drive, and Koregaon Park, which are executed in a geometrically ornate, and minimalist form with vivid colour-palettes by both the artists.

The need to explore the intersection of history with architecture as located within our contemporary condition occupies central importance for both Zhang Ji and Lu Xinjian. Simultaneously, their attempts at forging connections with cultures and places they have never experienced in-person before, underscores the ingenious usage of technology like Google Earth, employed in their practice as primary research tools towards further aesthetic, conceptual, and visual experimentation.