The Merchant House
Amstel / Bridge / Delirium
by Slvie Bonnot and Zhu Hong
3 September – 31 October 2021
French artists Sylvie Bonnot and Zhu Hong (Chinese-born) bring 15 years of artistic experimentation with spaces to their second joint project in Amsterdam. The artists became friends while working on their 2017 show at The Merchant House. At Capital C they start with the building’s architecture and history and the Amstel river. Envisioned at times effusively, at times darkly, the theme of water—significant to both—becomes an imaginative bridge for interrogating the bridges we construct, over rivers, between people, or in our dreams.
The kaleidoscopic exchange of bold, multidimensional artworks invites intimate encounters with each piece. At the same time, photography is brought to a thought-provoking dialogue with itself and other mediums.
Known for the depths of their oeuvres, both artists are enjoying institutional recognition: Zhu Hong with her 2021-22 solo at the Arts Museum of Nantes; and Sylvie Bonnot with her 2021-22 residency award from L’Observatoire de l’Espace du CNES as well as the rare Mention Spéciale du Prix Internationale de l’Art dans l’Espace 2020 from L’Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris.