Zhang Enli Space Painting by Zhang Enli, 2014 Painting Acrylic on cardboard, Electricity Light 465 x 465 x 240 cm 183 x 183 x 94 inches From outside, the Space Painting installation by Zhang Enli appears to be merely a sturdy erection of cardboard boxes. But upon closer inspection, one finds that it has been so repetitively assembled, it seems to be worn out. Zhang prefers to create an installation of longevity rather than of aesthetics. The Space Painting has had several different iterations, and the artist regards it as an inexpensive but valuable method of creating work – employing a method that embodies his own philosophy. Zhang’s Space Painting series was initially realized in a non-profit space in Antwerp in 2007 which provided him with the ideal conditions of being able to paint without constraint or consideration of market value. Every year since, Zhang has created a new Space Painting, each in correspondence with its specific setting, some abstract, others figurative.
