Robert Zhao: The Divine in the Trash Stratum

The symbols of the divine show up in our world initially at the trash stratum.
– Philip K Dick

ShanghART Singapore is pleased to present The Divine in the Trash Stratum, a solo exhibition by Robert Zhao Renhui featuring his latest photographic works. The exhibition highlights the profound transformations that emerge from layers of waste and decay, as the artist invites us to reimagine the relationship between humanity and nature.

A series of photographs of various creatures on a fallen Albizia tree trunk welcome visitors into the space. These strange scenes depict how a site of destruction has transformed into one of regeneration and life. Mysterious images of precious gems are in fact created with remnants of human activity such as glass shards and discarded fragments, manifesting them as symbols of how forest processes and human histories intertwine.

Opening 11 January 2025 ahead of Singapore Art Week, the exhibition coincides with the Singapore Art Museum’s presentation of Seeing Forest, first shown at the Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, extending Zhao’s ongoing explorations of ecological resilience.