Upclose with Zevs
Recently arrested French contemporary artist “ZEVS” speaks to Tim Pritchard about “that incident” and his ongoing exhibition.
HK Magazine: Have you ever been arrested for your graffiti art before?
ZEVS: I was arrested twice in France a long time ago for practicing “shadow art,” which involved painting the outlines of shadows cast by lampposts. The term “graffiti artist” can be quite reductive when you’re trying to understand the concept behind the pieces.
HK: The owner of Chater House, Hong Kong Lands, has asked you to pay $6.7 million to “repair” the wall you painted. What do you make of this?
Z: They fancy themselves as patrons of the arts, but they haven’t tried at all to understand the concept behind my art. This is merely “graffiti” to them. They cover it up as if it were pornography. We used children’s water-based paints so that it could be washed off. I was even worried that it would rain and wash off before anyone got a chance to see it. Their reaction is quite a shame. One time before when I cut out the model posing in a Lavazza banner and held it for a symbolic ransom (of 500,000 Euros), it caused so much publicity that the company approached me to organize another event. But here I’m facing a HK$6.7 million bill for replacement of the wall.
HK: So what is the concept behind the “Liquidated Logos” exhibition?
Z: It’s about the power of the logo in the urban landscape. I “kidnap” logos and disturb their visual aspects. For this exhibition, I wanted to make a contemporary piece of art using traditional Chinese techniques, to highlight the contrast between these dying methods and Hong Kong’s brand obsession. I am not saying that these brands are bad. I wish instead to spark a debate about our wanton consumption of brands and labels.
HK: Why did you choose Chanel as a target?
Z: In America, we chose brands like Nike and Marlboro because they are quintessentially American. In Hong Kong, were everyone is fashion-obsessed, it simply had to be something like Chanel. And Chater House is centrally located where many people will be able to experience it. On top of all that, you have the Armani wall behind the Chanel logo, highlighting a fashion war between the two competing brands.