Zhao Yao participates in Thailand Biennale Phuket 2025, from 29 November 2025 to 30 April 2026.
Zhao Yao’s Signals from Heaven presents 7 weathered meditation cabins from Qinghai, used by monks and villagers for solitary retreats. In the Biennale, these box-like cabins are installed as found objects, each fitted with edited, multilingual texts from TED talks that address universal human concerns.
The work contrast spiritual solitude with digital-age connectivity, reframing the pursuit of enlightenment as a collective, dialogical practice. Through this interplay, the site becomes a space where private reflection meets shared discourse, subtly underscored by visual references to platforms like Google—highlighting how contemporary knowledge and belief are mediated.
Thus, Zhao Yao transforms Signals from Heaven into a critical arena—a series of works that catalyzes reflection, compelling viewers to explore the shared foundations of selfhood while confronting the practical limits of human coexistence.
Theme:
Eternal [Kalpa]
Curators:
David Teh, Arin Rungjang, Hera Chan, Marisa Phandharakrajadej
Dates:
2025.11.29 - 2026.4.30 (10:30 am - 6:30 pm daily)
Venue:
Jui Tui Shrine, 283 Soi Phutorn, Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket, Phuket 83000, Thailand
