Images(3)

Swimming

Date2014

Object number00055533

NameSculpture

MediumStainless steel

DimensionsOverall: 3660 × 1620 × 2540 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection Gift from Parkview Arts Action as a legacy of the On Sharks & Humanity program

Collections

Ocean Science & Sustainability

Terms

DescriptionZou Liang's sculpture takes the form of a white shark whose entire body is made of different marine organisms. It is shown swimming, while two children balance on its tail. This image of innocent children playing on the shark contrasts with the negative prejudice against sharks. The children create a sense of relaxation and harmony and symbolise the fact that while the rest of the marine creatures that make up its structure are part of the shark's food chain, humans are outside, yet the species can co-exist in balance. HistoryThis artwork was commissioned for a major environmental initiative - a touring exhibition program from contemporary arts organisation Parkview Arts Action in China. Curators commissioned artists to create work to raise awareness of the threat to shark populations worldwide from overfishing and to draw attention to the practice of shark finning and the fin trade in China and growing markets in South East Asia. Parkview teamed up with WildAid, an NGO dedicated to preventing the illegal wildlife trade, to brief the artists. The exhibition On Sharks & Humanity explored the relationship between sharks and humans on a physical level and from a metaphysical perspective - here in Australia for instance work explored the complex and at times conflicted relationship between sharks and humans - sharks as dangerous predators or as species under threat, and the important roles and responsibilites of shark people in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with regard to sustainability. On sharks & humanity toured venues in Europe, Asia, and in Australia at the National Maritime Museum from 2014-2019.SignificanceThis artwork is a significant, exciting, accessible, metaphorical piece from a contemporary Chinese artist advocating balance in the world's ecosystems. It evokes both Chinese aesthetic and art-making traditions in its reference to the detail of paper-cutting and Chinese philosophical traditions of Confucianism. Altogether it is a compelling message for viewers.