Primo Marella Gallery is pleased to announce that Singaporean artist Robert Zhao’s celebrated project A Guide To The Flora And Fauna Of The World has been acquired by the renowned Tate collection.
Originally commissioned for the 2013 Singapore Biennale, the work takes the form of an unconventional encyclopaedia, documenting organisms altered by human intervention.
The multidisciplinary artist was recently selected to represent Singapore at the Venice Biennale in 2024, where he presented an exhibition that continues his longstanding engagement with the relationship between nature and culture.
Dr Sook-kyung Lee, senior curator of international art at Tate’s Hyundai Research Centre: Transnational, emphasized the acquisition’s significance: “This work stood out for its formal and thematic strength in questioning humankind’s relationship with nature.” She noted that it also expands Tate’s representation of Southeast Asian art and enhances its holdings in contemporary photography.
The acquisition, which took over two years to finalize, marks a milestone for Zhao.
A Guide To The Flora And Fauna Of The World is accompanied by an artist book – designed by Hanson Ho and Stephanie Ng – which won the Design of the Year award at the President’s Design Award and the Gold Pencil from the New York One Show Design Annual Awards in 2014.
June 12, 2025
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