Hussel Zhu (Shanghai, CN) subconsciously attempt to organize a misunderstandings situation in language and culture in his works. His lasting interest in lunatic and foolish characters from the Western Renaissance, like the court jester (‘hofnar’ in Dutch) makes him use this persona to empower himself. It allows him to make errors, start unprepared, and reminds him to withdraw from the character of an artist. He grew up in an environment that lacked a strong belief in immaterial value. Thus, Hussel developed a keen interest in observing what artists, including himself, produce.
2019 – 2021 MFA in Visual Arts and Post-Contemporary Practice, St.Joost, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, NL
2011 – 2015 BA in Photography(non-art), Shanghai Institute of visual art of Fudan University, Shanghai, CN
Exhibitions
2024 Crafting Futures, The Grey Space in the Middle, Den Haag, NL
2024 Jan Koos Feylbriefs Levensspiegel, SEE LAB, Den Haag, NL
2024 Heavy Foldable Table, Club Solo, Breda, NL
2024 Hussel Zhu op Eindhoven centraal, Albert van Abbehuis, by Gijs Milius & Hussel Zhu (DUO), Eindhoven, NL
2024 Early Bird, Yellow Cube Festival, IDFX, Breda, NL
2023 SELLING OUR SOUL V, ‘Jolly Jolly’, De Nachtzuster, Tilburg, NL
2023 UNFAIR23, Gashouder, Amsterdam
2023 Can You Live My Space, the StadsGalerij & Galerie Ecker, by Witte Rook, Breda, NL
2023 To Riso or Not, Make Eindhoven, during Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, NL
2023 Draisine Derby 2023, Collective performance, Basel, CH
2023 Part 41 (carriers), with collective “it is part of an ensemble,” Galerie KLEMM’S, Berlin, DE
2023 Façade, De Belofte 18, at Kunstliefde, Utrecht, NL
2023 Hotel Solo: Fluid Art Space, as part of HOTEL SOLO #8, a Club Solo research project by FLUID, Club Solo, Breda, NL
2023 Salon Des Refusés, IDFX, Breda, NL
2022 HUTCAFE_ORG, NS16, Tilburg, NL
2022 De Negatieve Selectie, Willem Twee, Den Bosch, NL
2022 DESTINATION UNKNOWN 2022, Heilig Hart Kerk, Venlo, NL
2022 ISSUE #III – Pieter Laurens Mol, PIER15 and Stedlijk Museum Breda, Breda, NL
2022 Performance, MELK | WATER, H(a)L in Frank Taal Galerie expo no.2, Rotterdam, NL
2022 Collective Contemplation,…ism project space, Den Haag, NL
2022 ART RENDEZ VOUS BREDA, Open studio, Witte Rook, Breda, NL
2022 Tuesday path, A/M #3, Kunstpodium-T, Tilburg, NL
2022 Project_168H, Edition 8, NL
2021 Mid-Air, The Raw Cases #2, DOOR, Dordrecht, NL
2021 FINISH WEEKEND, Rottstr5-KUNSTHALLEN, Bochum, DE
2021 Those Are The Days, Kunstpodium-t, Tilburg, NL
2021 I BELIEVE YOU, I BELIEVE IN YOU, Solinger Künstler program, Galerie SK, Solingen, DE
2021 Live Alone, Die Together, graduation show, AKV | St.Joost, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, NL
2021 FENSTER GESPRÄCHE, by Neuland Projektraum, Rottstraße, Bochum, DE
2021 The Raw Cases, Werkwarenhuis, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, NL
2021 The Hague Contemporary Art Weekend, support by 1646 & Nest, Den Haag, NL
2021 Oude Kerk, the Tiny gallery, the Hague, NL
2020 Annotated Memories, Undocumented Events and Object Permanence, online, by Noemata, NO
2020 Lost in translation, Systematic, Eye Film Museum, Amsterdam, NL
2019 One-off Moving Image Festival 2019, public space, Valencia (ES) and Gol (No)
2017 Shadow, performance with Nana Azul, People’s park, Shanghai, CN
2016 Noisy, Old Millfun 1933, Shanghai, CN
2015 Hand-made photos, the 15th China Pingyao international photography festival, Shanxi, CN
Artist residency
2023 Kunstennars jump! #3, NL
2022 DESTINATION UNKNOWN 2022, Venlo / Venray, NL
2022 AIR international, Witte Rook, Breda, NL
2021 – 2022 Apprentice Master, Kunstpodium T, Tilburg, NL
Grants
2024 Praktijkbijdrage, CBK
2023/2024 Kunstenaar Start, Mondriaan Fonds
2022 Pictoright Steunfonds
2021 Cultuursubsidies, support by municipality of ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Award
2022 I Leave You a Solo Performance, the winners of 4th round, Sarmad Fiction Writing Club, Rotterdam, NL
Selected press
2022 Brabant Cultureel, NL
2022 De Limburger, NL
2022 Appearances of a Cultural Jet Leg, Interview, in conversation with Annosh Urbanke, Witte Rook, NL
2021 Solinger Tageblatt, Solingen, DE
2021 Solinger Morgenpost, Solingen, DE
2021 Metropolism_mag, Live Alone, Die Together, NL
2021 Art & Education, Live Alone, Die Together, NL
2020 Punt Avans, Onafhankelijk magazine van Avans Hogeschool, Breda, NL
Talks & lectures
2021 Live Alone, Die Together, live streaming event, AKV | St.Joost, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, NL
2021 Research hub: Live Alone, Die Together, V2_Lab, Rotterdam, NL
2021 Presenting Research in Art & Design, AKV|St.Joost, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, NL
Publications
2022 ISSUE #III – Pieter Laurens Mol, by PIER15 and Stedlijk Museum Breda, Breda, NL
2022 Satellites | laboratory for sound and soul, published by Laboratory of Sound And Soul
2022 I Believe You, I Believe in You, support by Verein Solinger Kunstlier e.V and St.Joost
2021 Undocumented events and object permanence, e-book, published by Nomata
2020 Installation on location, edition 02, published by AKV|St.Joost, NL
Positions in visual art
2024 – present member of Sunflower Soup, Arnhem, NL
2022 – present Core member of Bossche Bol Bol project, Den Bosch, NL
2020 – present member of Club Solo, Breda, NL
past-
2020 Jury member, Eye on Art’s Research Labs, Eye film museum 2020, Amsterdam, NL
2016-2018 Social Media Executive, Artist Relations Dept., Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Artist residency program, Swatch Group, Shanghai, CN