Hygiene No.3

In 1991, an exhibition called the “Garage Show” was held in an underground garage on Hengshan Road in Shanghai. Zhang Peili presented his video piece Hygiene No.3 at this show. On screen, a pair of hands continuously washes a live chicken in a basin using soap and water. Before the washing begins, the camera shows a plaque on the back wall that reads “Hygiene Advanced Unit.” The person washing the chicken wears a prison- or hospital-style vertically striped shirt, and his actions are mechanical and impassive.