Birdhead Biography

Birdhead is an artist collective whose oeuvre consists of photographic captures of everyday life in their native city Shanghai. The snap-shot aesthetic of their extensive and accumulative photo-series (b/w as well as colour) delivers a subjective and un-retouched take on todays' urban reality.

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"I often feel that November is a boy with his trouser pockets filled with roasted chestnut, wearing a thin shirt in the chilly wind, and walking aggressively and bravely. A long time ago, before Starbucks, McDonald's and Dolby-surrounding cinemas, in numerous sunny November days, the idle boys had to wander in groups across the streets, fiercely and energetically. And seemingly, our Shanghai grows in their wandering and repeated stare. The dark-green scaffolds are removed and mounted; the cement columns of the viaducts silently form the shade over our heads; large landscape expands across the old houses that have once witnessed our birth; during typhoon season, the ferry dock trembles in Huangpu River; at midnight, earthwork trucks run across the void roads. Tank cars. Roses. Ruins. Fountains. Fireworks. It takes too long and the night is looming. They almost cross the entire Shanghai, when the columns of the viaducts are occupied by green Boston ivy.

Our hearts are filled with a huge amount of love and sadness.

Afterwards, there are metro and light rail, crossing through Shanghai under the ground or in the sky. Time passes too quickly for us to make a revolutionary posture. No time for questions and hesitation. There's a voice pushing us, following the boy with chestnuts, wandering aggressively and aimlessly, to witness what shadow our Shanghai will create and when the ivy will cover all the roads."

JI Weiyu (1980) and SONG Tao (1979) were both born in Shanghai, where they also reside and work today. The artists graduated from the Shanghai Arts and Crafts School in 2000. Recent exhibitions include: New Photography 2012, MoMA, NewYork, U.S.A.(2012); Reactivation - 9th Shanghai Biennale, Power Station of Art, Shanghai(2012); The 54th Venice Biennale——ILLUMInations, Venice, Italy (2011); China Power Station - part 4, Pinacoteca Agnelli, Torino, Italy (2010); The World of Other's: A Contemporary Art Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai (2008); China Power Station II, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Norway (2007). And their solo exhibitions include: Welcome to Bird Head World Again-Beijing 2012, ShanghART Beijing, Beijing(2012); Birdhead: New Village, EX3 Centro per l'arte Contemporanea Firenze, Florence, Italy (2011); Artist File 2011 The NACT Annual Show of Contemporary Art, National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan (2011); Welcome to the World of Bird Head Again-2010, Guangzhou; Lianzhou (2010); Bird Head 2006+2007 Photography Show, BizArt, Shanghai (2007).

Birdhead
featured artworks

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Passions Bloom Ambitions - 43 by Birdhead contemporary artwork photography
Birdhead Passions Bloom Ambitions - 43, 2017 Colour chromogenic print, gelatin silver print printed on Hahnemuhle fine art baryta 325g, collage, alloy nails, wet mounted on basswood, framed with elmwood
60 1/8 x 40 1/2 x 2 3/8 inches
Eli Klein Gallery Request Price & Availability
A Bigger Photo by Birdhead contemporary artwork sculpture, photography
Birdhead A Bigger Photo, 2021 Gelatin silver print, basswood panel, black walnut frame, ramie cloth, traditional lacquer
113 x 59.5 x 5 cm
Asia Art Archive
Passions Bloom Ambitions - 46 by Birdhead contemporary artwork works on paper, photography
Birdhead Passions Bloom Ambitions - 46, 2017 Colour chromogenic print, gelatin silver print printed on Hahnemuhle Fine Art Baryta 325g, collage, alloy nails, wet mounted on basswood, framed with elmwood
153 x 103 x 6 cm
ShanghART Request Price & Availability
Passions Bloom Ambitions 2017-35 情放志荡2017-35 by Birdhead contemporary artwork mixed media
Birdhead Passions Bloom Ambitions 2017-35 情放志荡2017-35, 2017 Gelatine silver print photo pinned with copper nails on basswood, teakwood frame
90 x 117 cm
ShanghART Request Price & Availability
Dreamed-Breeze-2 我梦有风-2 by Birdhead contemporary artwork installation
Birdhead Dreamed-Breeze-2 我梦有风-2, 2018 Pinwheel, lamp, sound, fan, wood, metal rod, transparent plastic, Iron frame, LED, silk, aluminous model board, wood, b&w photograph
ShanghART Request Price & Availability
Dreamed-Breeze-1 我梦有风-1 by Birdhead contemporary artwork installation
Birdhead Dreamed-Breeze-1 我梦有风-1, 2018 Pinwheel, lamp, sound, fan, wood, metal rod, transparent plastic, Iron frame, LED, silk, aluminous model board, wood, color photograph
ShanghART Request Price & Availability
Today 2004-01 by Birdhead contemporary artwork photography
Birdhead Today 2004-01, 2014 Gelatin silver print
57 x 42 cm
ShanghART Request Price & Availability
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Birdhead
recent exhibitions

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Represented by this
Ocula Member Gallery

ShanghART contemporary art gallery in Singapore
ShanghART Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore
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Birdhead in
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