March of the Elephants, 2022
Single-channel video, 41′ 21″
Courtesy of the artist and Tabula Rasa Gallery, Beijing
Cheng Xinhao’s essay film March of the Elephants is the first work realised in his latest research series Tales about the South of Clouds initiated in 2021, in which the artist traces the oral literary traditions of China’s Yunnan province and its accompanying physical manifestation by immersing himself in specific fields and encounters. The work March of the Elephants discusses the historic movements and social symbols of elephants along the Lancang River in Yunnan, bordering Myanmar. Documenting the movements of elephants in and out of their natural habitats, the film reveals the construction of contemporary reality rooted in ancient legend and political discourse, and the multiple uses of the animal by humans, therein.
Cheng Xinhao was born in Yunnan Province, China; he lives and works in Kunming, China.
Cheng Xinhao’s works emerge from long-term field studies centred on his hometown in Yunnan Province, often involving long-distance journeys and research conducted on foot. With videos, installations, photographs, and text, he personally investigates the polyphonic relationships between logic, discourses, knowledge, and the ways in which they intertwine with nature, society, and history.
