“Inspired by the round-shaped hollow of a common bagel, Zhang Hongtu establishes his art by “grasping the center of the ring to respond to the limitless.” This Taoist idea serves as the cornerstone of Zhang's art, the basis form which various possibilities can be put into practice. The best evidence is the piece Exit/Entrance, which was created by Zhang Hongtu while at HKUST (Hong Kong University of science and Technology) and was conceived after his first trip into the busy city center of Kowloon. Awestruck by the frenzied pace and color of the city, he was suddenly inspired. Zhang took the large cut-out image of Mao that had been designed for the Vivienne Tam "Mao Fashion Show" at HKUST and placed it at the main entrance to the Exposition Hall for the opening of his show. This ready-made object, destined for the trash, thus was given new life as the one and only entrance and exit to the exhibition. He painted pink the side of the cut-out facing outwards to those entering the exhibition. On the opposite side, facing those leaving the exhibition, Zhang Hongtu posted 400 photographs that he had taken of the Nathan Road area of Kowloon, photographs of colorful street scenes from morning to night. Moreover, the artist changed the original exit sign over the exhibition hall to "entrance," thus indicating to the exiting viewers of the exhibition that they were in fact entering, or returning to the reality of Hong Kong.”

– The Significance of a Bagel, by Lee Hui-Shu, the catalogue of Zhang Hongtu's exhibition at Hong Kong University of science and Technology 1996