Repetition is a work comprised of various blocks of stone stacked into a cube shape. The blocks have all been taken from the shattered remains of ancient Chinese sculptures of the Buddha, purchased by the artist and hewn into shape. Once enshrined and worshiped as idols, these statues were shattered by the forces of nature and man (at the hands of political and commercial forces), and later found themselves for sale at an antique market. The artist took these statue fragments and cut away all signs of their former value, returning them to a tranquil state of their original essence- stone. Zhao is not attempting to shatter faith by saying that these shattered fragments can no longer be used as sacred objects in Buddhist worship, however the piece does indeed explore a certain interrelated history. One of the main aims of the work is to expose the connection between secular fetishism and religious belief, and in doing so elaborate upon the uncertainty of the so-called “standard”.

(Edited by Taikang Space)