Gao Brothers: Focus comprises digital sketches and photographs of the artists' intricate fabrication processes and everyday life in their vast studio in Beijing. Working in an environment that is heavily censored and closely watched by police, the Gao Brothers have developed an artistic practice that employs political criticism, but also hints at humanist optimism. As suggested by the large scale of their works as well as their diverse media, the brothers have a large network of studio assistants and fabricators, who, like the artists, must also be wary of police presence. Although the Gao Brothers have found ways to create and exhibit their controversial works—storing and shipping Mao's Guilt with the head and body separated, for instance—they and their collaborators must carefully negotiate their position within China's unique political climate.
Above: Gao Brothers, A Draft of Mao's Guilt, 2009; computer generated study, 24 x 34 inches; Courtesy of the artists |
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