Ni Haifeng (1964, Zhoushan, China) lives and works in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His practice engages with cultural systems of exchange, language, and production. Through photography, video, and installations, he draws attention to the cyclical movements of people, products, and goods, which reflect patterns of colonialism and globalization. He explores the simultaneous creation and obliteration of meaning, employing the concept of ‘uselessness’ as a key role within his practice. In his words, any aim to subvert the status quo and counteract preconceived notions of art are an effort towards reaching a ‘zero degree of meaning.’
Recent solo exhibitions include The Para-Textual, In Situ – fabienne leclerc (Paris, 2017); Ni Haifeng, Art Basel (Hong Kong 2016); Ni Haifeng, kleinste galerietje (Amsterdam, 2016); Vive la Difference – Ni Haifeng, Lumen Travo Gallery (Amsterdam, 2010); Of the Departure and the Arrival, Teemtower (Guangzhou, 2009); Para-Production, Joyart (Beijing, 2008); Vive la Difference – Ni Haifeng @ Arrow Factory, Arrow Factory (Beijing, 2008); and The Return of the Shreds (in collaboration with Kitty Zijlmans), Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal in Scheltema (Leiden, 2007), among others. Recent group exhibitions include Dialogues, Manifesta Biennal (Amsterdam, 2017); En Marge, In Situ – fabienne leclerc (Paris, 2017); Everything Must Go – Art and the Market, Lewis Glucksman Gallery (Cork, 2015); Paper Theatre, Pear1Lam Galleries (Shanghai 2015), Dai Hanzi – 5000 Names, at UCCA (Beijing, 2014), and Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art (Rotterdam, 2014), among others.