Castello di Ama

Zhu Xian: The characteristics of the context in which you worked have strengthened the meanings of your work, giving it spiritual power.

Chen Zhen: It wasn't so much the context that elevated the work but the fact that the conception of the work itself was based primarily on consideration of the context. One of my constant creative methods consists in communicating with the internal/invisible context of the place. You see, every time I propose a project – I mean the project of a large installation – in a place I have never been, problems are sure to arise, big or small. I have been faced with enormous problems, including even lack of inspiration. Another problem that may arise is the extraneousness of the work to the place.

(from a conversation between Chen Zhen and Zhu Xian)