Lin Zhipeng aka. No. 223

Chinese

Place of Birth

Born in Guangdong China in 1979

Place of Residence

Beijing, China

Official Site

Les photographies de n°223 dépeignent une jeunesse chinoise qui vit sans interdit, ni limite, et qui s’adonne aux jeux de l’amour, alternant exaltation, mélancolie profonde et sexualité enjouée. « J’ai toujours été fasciné par la folie créative et l’incroyable énergie qui émanent de la jeunesse », dit-il.

Ses images sont baignées d’une douce insouciance. Ses mises en scène, inspirées de sa propre expérience de vie, sont poétiques, ludiques, joyeuses et spontanées. Il photographie ses amis, ses amants, leurs fêtes, leurs tenues excentriques, leurs comportements sexuels, sans aucun tabou autour de la nudité, du genre, de l’homosexualité, du fétichisme et du désir, dans une explosion de couleur et de motifs. Sa vie amoureuse est étroitement mêlée à la production de ses photographies. Ses images sont charnelles, elles évoquent souvent le goût et le toucher, le mélange des sens est partout, ses sentiments ont des couleurs, ses souvenirs ont des parfums. Il utilise de simples accessoires, des fleurs qu’il juge à la fois fortes et romantiques, une combinaison puissante dit-il. Il joue avec les décors, les papiers peints, les tissus, la nourriture qu’il aime greffer sur les corps de ses modèles.
« L’érotisme et le voyeurisme sont deux choses aussi communes que le fait de marcher, de manger ou de prendre une douche. Chez moi, l’amour et le sexe ne sont absolument pas tabous. Je ne sais pas si je pourchasserai les corps nus avec mon appareil photo toute ma vie, mais toujours est-il qu’aujourd’hui je suis encore assez jeune et curieux de ce monde et de tout ce qui gravite autour de moi. » Sa vision de la jeune génération est très loin du conservatisme et des pesanteurs de la société chinoise actuelle. Contournant les pièges de la censure dans son pays, sa quête de liberté, liberté des corps, liberté de ses choix de vie, est fondamentale dans son expression artistique.

By MEP · Pascal Hoël
Responsable des collections
Head of collections

Lin Zhipeng (aka No.223) is a leading figure of new Chinese photography emerging in the last decade, popularizing his work originally via social media and other online platforms as well as his self-published zines. Lin’s work has come to reflect and define a certain zeitgeist of the post-80’s and 90’s generation of non-mainstream Chinese youth. Amidst an otherwise conservative and often closed traditional society and cultural background, Lin’s photographs act as a collective not-so-private diary of a young generation wishing to escape the pressures from a high-stakes society and play within its limits. Faded flowers tangled with flesh tones, myriad patterns mixing with an emotional ambiguity of both love and chaos, fantasy and eroticism. 223’s works are saturated with a soft sense of carefreeness, a playful innocence, and a certain optimism amidst a hedonist lifestyle going against the expected pleasures and entrapments of the middle-class dream.

Naming himself “No. 223” after the police character in Wong Kar-Wai’s movie Chungking Express, Lin Zhipeng also adopts a sense of the Hong Kong director’s poetic and dreamy atmosphere as well as the loneliness and mystery of many of his film’s characters. Lin Zhipeng offers his point of view on an alternative youth spirit and culture in an often conservatively Chinese cultural context. His spontaneous photographs portray a young generation who indulge in love and life, oscillating between jubilation and deep melancholy, playful sexuality and often just the simple human need to be loved in an otherwise indifferent and ever-changing society.

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223_Invisible-Love-Handle-2014
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223_Sex-Peace-2013
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223_VASE-QIAN_2019
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Selected Solo Exhibitions

2023 – Mysterious Skin, Stieglitz19 Gallery, Antwerp (Belgium)
Boys Boys Boys, Migrant Bird Space, Berlin (Germany)
We have no purity in the dark, Kitsuné Gallery, New York (USA)
2022 – Colors of Love, Represented by in)(between, RASTOLL Gallery, Paris / Sinibaldi Galerie, Arles (France)
Colors of Love, Represented by in)(between, Galeria Cadaques, Cadaques (Spain)
2021- Polaroids, Stieglitz19 Gallery, Antwerp (Belgium)
2020 – Satellite of Love 愛，放衛星, Canton-Sadine, Vancouver (Canada)
A Savage Affection 以蛮为情, Solonia Art Center, Suzhou (China)
2019 – Amphibian Relationships 两栖关系 – No.223@The Delaware Contemporary, Delaware (USA)
No.223@Akio Nagasawa Gallery Aoyama, Tokyo (Japan)
No.223@The Walther Collection feats Then And Now, The Walther Collection, Neu Ulm (Germany)
No.223@in)(between, in)(between Gallery, Paris (France)
2018 – No.223@Grand Amour, Grand Amour Hotel, Paris (France)
223@Stieglitz19, Stieglitz19 Gallery, Antwerp (Belgium)
2017 – No.223@M97, M97 Gallery, Shanghai (China)
2016 – No.223, de Sarthe Beijing Gallery, Beijing (China)
Hidden Track, Stieglitz19 Gallery, Antwerp (Belgium)
2014 – 223, Loppis Galleria, Parma (Italy)
青红皂白 Velvet Pogo, Kui Yuan Gallery, Guangzhou (China)
2013 – 蜜桃 The Peaches, ATTIC, Taipei
2008 – 我派对 Me Party, Songzhuang Art Museum, Beijing (China)
时光成分 Composition In Time, GZOP Lab, Guangzhou (China)

Publications

Myriad of Things And Bodies, by Yining He, Foam Magazine #63 Food! Issue, 2023
LOVE SONGS, Published by MEP Paris, 2022
Rooms Within China, Published by Tofu Collective, 2021
123 Polaroids – No.223, Published by in)(between gallery Paris + Super Labo, Japan, 2021
Grand Amour – No.223, Published by Witty Books, Italy, 2020
Xuan Juliana Wang: “223, Acts of Memory”, Aperture, Issue 239, 2020
Flowers and Fruits – No.223, Published by T&M Projects, Japan, 2019
Sour Strawberries – No.223, Published by Editions Bessard Press, France, 2018
In Our Secret Life – No.223, Published by Hunan Literature & Art Press, 2016
Hidden Track – No.223, Published by Editions Bessard Press, France, 2016
屏幕生存 Living in Screens, by 海杰Haijie, China, 2016
ExtraExtra#7, Netherlands, 2016
Snoecks 2016, Snoecks nv, Belgium, 2016
Genda#1, a+mbookstore edizioni, Italy, 2016
GUP#43, Netherlands, 2014
Versatile#2, Self-published, Beijing, April 2014
(Documentary) China Through The Lens of Youth, NHK Japan, 2014
(Documentary) Emma Tassy, LA CHINE DANS L’OBJECTIF, ARTE France, 2013
Ubies, Asian Creatives, PIE International Inc. Tokyo, 2013
想象 Imagination, by 孙慧婷 Sun Huiting, China, 2013
Satellite of Love – No.223, Published by Guangming Daily Press, Beijing, 2012
Lili Chien, Artist’s Show Case: No.223, Voices Of Photography, Taiwan, Jul/Aug 2012
Travis, The Simple Connection between Photography and Sexual, PPAPER, Taiwan, June 2012
No.223, Published by Revolution-star, Taiwan, May 2012
223, From China With Love, Bare Bones, London, Issue 9, 2012
Versatile#1, Self-published, Beijing, April 2012
Tristan Chen, “22.3 questions about No.223”, Fashion China, China, Nov.2011
Mino, ‘Intimate Bodies Through Lens, Surface, China, June 2011
My Private Broadway – 223’s Photobook 3, Self-Published, Beijing, 2011
Pinko, ‘Adolescence is the most creative periods’, The Outlook Magazine, China, July 2010
Nicki Xiao, ‘The Third Eye on Fashion’, Design 360°, Hong Kong, N.20, March 2009
Sarah Fakray, ‘New faces of Beijing’, Dazed&Confused, London, December, 2008
Xu Jinglei, ‘Lin Zhipeng Q&A’, Wallpaper.com, September 25, 2008
Cynthia, ‘Creative Forces in Beijing’, Milk, Hongkong, August, 2008
Joe Magliaro, ‘223’, Theme Magazine, New York, issue 11, fall, 2007
Jifan Wong & Cong, I like the city with a bit distance, Rice magazine, Guangzhou, July 2006
John Millichap (ed), 3030: New Photography in China, 3030 Press, Hong Kong, 2006
My Private Broadway – 223’s photobook 2, self-published, Guangzhou, 2006
My Private Broadway – 223’s photobook 1, self-published, Guangzhou, 2005
Flowers and Fruits – No.223, Published by T&M Projects, Japan, 2019
Sour Strawberries – 2018, Editions Bessard France
In Our Secret Life – 2016, Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House, China
Hidden Track – 2015, Editions Bessard France
Versatile#2 – 2014, Self-published by No.223
Satellite of Love – 2012, Travel Photography Collection – Guangming Daily Press, China
No.223 – 2012, Revolution-Star, Taiwan
Versatile#1 – 2012, Self-published by No.223, China
Wild Oats – 2012, 88books, Canada
My Private Broadway III – 2011, Self-published by No.223, China
My Private Broadway II – 2006, Self-published by No.223
United Nude – 2006, United Nude
Too Magazine – 2007, Too Magazine Vol. 01 / Remix Issue / Summer 2007, China

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024 – selbst，boa-basedonart Gallery, Düsseldorf (Germany) introduced by in)(between gallery Paris
“What We Are”, de Sarthe Gallery, Hongkong (China)
2023 – (In)directions: Queerness in Chinese Contemporary Photography, Eli Klein Gallery, NewYork (USA)
“Each,Other”, Griffith University Art Museum, Brisbane (Australia)
Love Songs, ICP, NewYork (USA)
中間地帯 interface, ARTiX3, Tokyo (Japan)
2022 – I Have Not Loved (enough or worked), Art Gallery of Western Australia (Australia)
WHO AM I? I AM. Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, (Germany)
Love Songs, MEP Paris, Paris (France)
223 & Ren Hang, Stieglitz19 Gallery, Brussels (Belgium)
2021 – Signs of The Times, Apalazzo Gallery, Brescia (Italy)
2020 – 可能的往事 Possible Past, Star Gallery, Beijing (China)
丰收 / 尖果儿 Harvest / Hanging Fruit, M97 Gallery, Shanghai (China)
自如的绑票与疗愈的暗示, M Studio, Beijing (China)
Chamber of: , Lou Carter Gallery, Paris (France)
China Fever, Migrant Bird Space, Berlin (Germany)
The Farm, K11 Art Foundation, Shenyang (China)
2019 – I AM (AT WAR) IN LOVE WITH THE OBVIOUS, The Address Gallery, Brescia (Italy)
Chinese Spring Part 4, Stieglitz19 Gallery, Antwerp (Belgium)
對流 Convection, Art Tai Space, Hohhot (China)
2018 – EL CUERPO REINTERPRETADO, NUE Gallerie, Valencia (Spain)
十方 Ten Directions: 三影堂摄影奖十周年特展 The 10th Anniversary Exhibition of The Three Shadows Photography Award,Three Shadows Photography Art Center, Beijing (China)
Chinese Spring #3, Stieglitz19 Gallery，Antwerp (Belgium)
知尚 A nous la mode! , Temple Beijing / Bailian Centre Shanghai / Three Shadows Xiamen / Chengdu Museum (China)
2017 – 世界切片 The World Section, Xi’an Art Museum, Xi’an (China)
PHOTOSYNTHESIS, M97 Gallery, Shanghai (China)
诗 Poem, Zhong Gallery, Beijing (China)
2016 – 遇见森山大道 Meet Daido Moriyama, Aoman Space, Beijing (China)
坦白·猝不及防的九场自拍实验 Illuminate Your Beauty, UCCA, Beijing (China)
BredaPhoto International Photofestival, Breda (Netherlands)
2015 – Teetering at The Edge of The World-Reading the Chinese Contemporary, Espacio de Arte Contemporeáno (EAC), Montevideo (Uruguay)
This is not China anymore, GuatePhoto International Photography Festival, Antigua (Guatemala)
图像新潮 Coming Image, curated by LEAP, Photo shanghai (China)
首届长江国际影像双年展 Changjiang International Image Biennale, Chongqing (China)
2014 – Collab#1 curated by Now&Them, The Gallery，Shanghai (China)
No.223, 10th Lianzhou International Photography Festival, Lianzhou (China)
XXX, BANK Gallery, Shanghai (China)
Chinese spring #2, Stieglitz19 Gallery, Antwerp (Belgium)
2013 – Unseen Photo Fair, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
不合作方式2 FUCK OFF 2, Groninger Museum (Netherlands)
Exposure, London Gallery West (UK)
平等的关系 Equal Relationships, Blindspot Gallery, Hongkong.
2012 – 宓爱 Secret Love，OSTASIATISKA MUSEET Skeppsholmen (Sweden)
每一天 Every day, Shanghai Gallery of Art, Shanghai (China)
Unspecified Urban Site, RH Gallery, NewYork (USA)
ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE, White Gloss Gallery. Los Angels (USA)
I have also other favorites, Stacion Gallery, Prishtina (Turkish)
2011 – 蚯蚓-连州国际摄影节 Earthworm, Lianzhou Foto 2011 (China)
白痴 dAfT，Shanghai Gallery of Art, Shanghai (China)
Chinese Spring #1, Stieglitz19 Gallery, Antwerp (Belgium)
Boys’ Little World，ZEN FOTO Gallery,Tokyo (Japan)
一重影事 Recurrent Shadows, Hexiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen (China)
万相 MYRIAD VISIONS, Three Shadows Photography Art Center, Beijing (China)
Art Amsterdam 2011 (Netherlands)
GTZ Photography Workshop 2011, Berlin, (Germany)
2010 – 5PRCITY, United Nude Miami, Miami (USA)
Get It Louder Exhibition, touring exhibition, venues in Shanghai & Beijing (China)
首届集美国际当代艺术节 The First International Contemporary Art Festival of China Jimei, Xiamen (China)
草场地摄影季 Caochangdi Photo Spring 2010: ARLES IN BEIJING, Beijing (China)
Box II: The Cruelty of Youth, White Space Collection, New York City (USA)
2009 – LINEART Fair at Flanders Expo Gent (Belgium)
China Now –The Edge of Desire, Max Lang Gallery, New York (USA)
我,我见 I, I SEE－ Southern Pocket Film festival, Guangzhou (China)
2008 – 连州国际摄影节 Youth Appearance, 4th Lianzhou International Photography Festival, Lianzhou (China)
变形记 Metamorphosis, Art Scene China, Shanghai (China)
潜活:公寓日志 Hidden Life: Apartment Diary, Lin & Keng Gallery, Beijing (China)
FotoGrafia International Festival, Rome (Italy)
New Photography In China, City Festival (Hong Kong)
2007 – 抽样 Sampling: Chinese Young Photographers, Potential Gallery, Beijing (China)
刷新 Refresh: Emerging Chinese Artists, touring exhibition, ZendaiMoMA, Shanghai, China; ARARIO Gallery, Beijing (China)
Get It Louder Exhibition, touring exhibition, venues in Guangzhou, Shanghai & Beijing (China)
2006 – 自私-连州国际摄影节 Selfhood – Absent Minded , First Lianzhou International Photography (China)
2005 – 平遥国际摄影节 Five New Generation Photographers, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao (China)