Lin Zhipeng: Relationship Duplicates

Description

Marking his second solo exhibition at de Sarthe, Relationship Duplicates sees Beijing-based and seminal figure in contemporary Chinese photography Lin Zhipeng deepen his exploration of intimacy in the digital age. Through large-scale photoprints, sensual fragments and a central smartphone installation, Lin reframes duplicates as extensions of lived encounters rather than copies. His work foregrounds tactility — skin, breath and physical proximity — drawing attention to the body as a site of presence and connection.

In contrast, the smartphone installation underscores the paradox of contemporary relationships, where constant connectivity can intensify emotional distance. Nudity becomes a means of stripping away social markers, returning the body to a more instinctive state. Expanding beyond human subjects, the artist introduces natural elements and temporal processes to reflect on transformation and impermanence. Together with projected texts, the exhibition forms a layered meditation on how intimacy is experienced, mediated and remembered today.