Who’s There (Detail), 2010. Photography by Pia Johnson.
Being Serious (Detail), 2011. Photography by Fiona Morrison.
Being Serious (Detail), 2011. Photography by Fiona Morrison.
Being Serious (Detail), 2011. Photography by Fiona Morrison.
Who’s There, 2010.
Speakers, digital photograph printed on vinyl, aluminium sheets, wood frames, a mp3 player, audio cables, the voice of me reading every day front-page-news of the Northern Territory News from 2008 to 2009.
Being Serious, 2011.
Speakers, digital photograph printed on vinyl, Perspex sheet, a mp3 player, audio cables, the voice of me reading UFO news articles in the Northern Territory News. Various sizes.
Who’s there? and Being Serious are series of works from the time-based act of reading headline articles from the Northern Territory News (the NT News) during 2009 and 2010.
In Who’s there?, newspapers are perceived as another means of measuring time. With the date – (eight numbers xx/xx/xxxx), newspapers mark the 24 hours of peoples’ lives. Through the voice reading every headline story of the NT News from 2009 to 2010, Zhou intends to record her time in Darwin with its astonishing, exciting and extremely humorous headline stories. Reading the news not only proves the existence of the reader at a certain time but also personalises that time. The sound of Zhou becomes an emotional statement and conveys an attitude towards the read subject matter.
Adopting a monotone voice during the reading, Zhou creates a hypnotic sound effect to the audience. The sound potentially leads them to a meditative and peaceful mindset, which contrasts with the content of the news stories that reveal the potential risks that are embedded in every day life - crimes, accidents or unusual social events.
The hidden risks are also visually hinted at in Who’s There?. The same photographic image of palm trees and dark clouds is repeatedly seen on the surface of three aluminum panels. Two palm trees in front of dark thick clouds, a typical tropical pre-storm scene. The image silently foretells the coming of a heavy rain and thunder storm. A still moment of waiting is depicted. Waiting for a storm, for rain,…maybe. There’s an anxiety of approaching danger.
Being Serious utilises six pieces of journalism about ‘Alien-ology’, published in the newspaper in April 2010. Addressing the high frequency of these 'Alien' news stories, Zhou comments on the absurdness and disconnection from reality the NT News presents. Beyond the surface of informality and entertainment, these articles unveil an insecurity and parochial culture, subtly imposed through the most popular and uncontested media outlet in the Northern Territory.