BookfromtheSkybyXuBing,mixedmediainstallation,dimensionsvariable,1987-1991.In2007,theworkjoinedtheopeningexhibitionofUCCA.Elevenyearslater,itisexhibitedatthesameplace.FromJuly21toOctober18,2018,theUllensCenterforContemporaryArt(UCCA)presentsanexhibitiontitled“XuBing:ThoughtandMethod.”ThisexhibitionmarksthemostcomprehensiveretrospectivesoloshowofXuBing,aBeijingbasedrenownedChinesecontemporaryartist.Itistheculminationofhisartisticcareerspanningmorethanfourdecades,featuringmorethan60worksincludingprints,drawings,installationsandfilmsaswellasdocumentaryfootageandarchivalmaterial.
OneofthemostinfluentialChineseartistsontheinternationalstage,XuBinghasmadeaprofoundimpactonthehistoryofChinesecontemporaryartwithhisavantgardeworksandwide-rangingpractice.UCCADirectorandCEOPhilipTinaribelievesXuisnotonlythemostrepresentativeiconofChinesecontemporaryartbutalsoakeyfigureforglobalcontemporaryartisticinterlocutionoverthepasthalfacentury.
AccordingtoTinari,thetitle“ThoughtandMethod”expressesUCCA’sdesiretoprovideasystemicoverviewofXu’snotionsandmethodologyinartcreation,aswellasthemotivationbehindhisunceasinginquiry.
Xu’sworksattheexhibitionhavebeendividedintothreesections.ThefirstsectionfeaturesXu’sworksdatingbacktotheperiodfromthe1970stoearly1990s,whenhestudiedandworkedinChina.Thesecondsectionhighlightshisworksfromthe1990sto2008whenXuwaslivingintheUnitedStates.ThethirdsectionfocusesonXu’sworksafterhereturnedtoChinain2008.“Forme,theexhibitionprovidesachanceforretrospection,”Xusaid.“Showingalltheworkstogethermakesamirrorreflectingmyself.”
MonkeysGraspfortheMoonbyXuBing,2001.In2001,XuBingwasinvitedtoholdanexhibitionattheArthurM.SacklerGalleryinWashingtonD.C.MonkeysGraspfortheMoonspannedtheentireheightofthegallery’satrium,whereiteventuallybecameapermanentinstallation.Thisexhibitiondisplayspartofthework.
SquareWordCalligraphybyXuBing,2017.Backintheearly1990swhenXufirstmovedtotheUnitedStates,hebegancreatingtheSquareWordCalligraphyseries(1994-present),arefashioningoftheEnglishalphabetaccordingtothestructurallogicofChinesecharacters.EarlyProductionBasedonWritingSystems
TheexhibitionstartswithXu’searlymasterpieceBookfromtheSky(1987-1991)whichtookfouryearstocomplete.Thepieceisafour-volumetreatisecarvedwiththousandsofmeaninglessChinesecharacters,eachdesignedbytheartistinakindoftypefacefontoriginatingintheSongDynasty(960-1279)andstandardizedbyartisansoftheMingDynasty(1368-1644).ThevolumesaremanuallyboundlikeancientChinesebooks.
ThisworkservesastheintroductiontoXu’s“ThoughtandMethod.”Textisnormallyusedforreadingandconveyingliteralmeanings,butXu’sBookfromtheSkyismarkedbyillegiblecharacter-esquewriting.XuBingwantedthese“fakeChinesecharacters”tochallengepeople’sinertthoughtsanddrivethemtodoubttheiravailableknowledgesystem.
BookfromtheSkydebutedattheNationalArtMuseumofChinainOctober1988andquicklycausedasensationathomeandabroad,consolidatingXu’sreputationandacademicstatusintheinternationalartcircle.ReturningtheworktoUCCAisespeciallymeaningfulbecauseitwasdisplayedatUCCA’sopeningexhibition“’85NewWave:TheBirthofChineseContemporaryArt”in2007intheexactsamespace.
SquareWordCalligraphyClassroombyXuBing,mixedmediainstallation,dimensionsvariable,1997.Asvisitorsenterthe“calligraphyclassroom,”writingandwatchingvideoscreateamoreimmersiveexperience.ExplorationinCrossculturalContext
ExplorationbasedonwritingsystemshasremainedacentralthemeofXu’sproduction.Backintheearly1990swhenXufirstmovedtotheUnitedStates,hisgreatestchallengewascommunication.DuringhisexperienceoftheculturalcollisionbetweentheEastandtheWest,hebegancreatingSquareWordCalligraphy(1994-present),arefashioningoftheEnglishalphabetaccordingtothestructurallogicofhanzi(Chinesecharacters).
Contrastinghis“fakeChinesecharacters,”Xu’sSquareWordCalligraphycanberead,combiningChinesecalligraphicartwithEnglishwritingtocreateanew“species”thatposesquestionsforpeoplefrombothcultures.In1999,XuBingwasawardedaMacArthurFellowship,popularlycalledthe“GeniusGrant,”forhiswork.In2015,XucollaboratedwithFoundertype,aChinesefontdeveloper,torelease“FoundertypeXuBing,”aconceptualart-decofontthatreorganizesthepinyinsystem(romanizationofChinese)intocharactersthemselves.ThisworkbroughtXuBing’saestheticideasintothelivesofthegeneralpublic.
Fortheexhibition,XuBingcreatedaninstallationpiecemodeledasan“adultliteracyclass”toservetheexhibitionspacewithtextbooks,aninstructionalvideoandcalligraphytracingbooksusedinclassrooms.Asvisitorsenterthegallery,theyalsoentera“classroom.”Writingandwatchingvideoscreateamoreimmersiveexperience.
Xualsoembarkedonaseriesof“cooperativeendeavors”withnon-humanactorssuchasanimals.WorkslikeAmericanSilkwormSeries(1994-present),PandaZoo(1998)andWildZebra(2002)allfuseWesternformwithtraditionalChineseelementstoaddressthefrustrationandexcitementoftransculturalcontact.
SquareWordCalligraphySign:Men,Toddlers,WomenbyXuBing,silkscreenprints,150.8x102.4cm,2003.
AttentiontoSocialIssues
In2008,XureturnedtoChinaandbecamevicepresidentoftheCentralAcademyofFineArts.Thecountry’srapiddevelopmentinspiredhimtocreateanumberofworksincludingBackgroundStory(2004-present)andPhoenix(20082013).Againstawidersocialandculturalbackground,theseworksreviewsocialphenomenaandtheculturalidentityofcontemporaryChina.
Alarge-scaleinstallation,Phoenixmeasures28metersinlengthandsixtonsinweight,makingittoolargetobeplacedintheexhibitinghall.Sotheexhibitiononlydisplaysmanuscriptsandvideomaterialsofthework.Madeofconstructionwasteandabandonedtools,theworklookstoafuturebuiltofrecycledmaterialsandtheiraccompanyingspirit,afamiliartropeinbothChinaandtheworldatlarge.
Xu’sclosescrutinyofsocietyhashelpedhimproduceanewworkeveryafewyearsasheworkstobreaktraditionalboundariesofart.
“Anartistisactuallydevotedtobuildingaclosedcircleintermsofhisorherownartisticmethods,”remarkedXuafterreviewinghisworksoverthepastfourdecades.Asforhisfutureplans,hehadnoanswer.“Myworksarenotplannedout,”heexplained.“AllIcansayisaslongasIhaveenergy,IwillcontinuetofocusonsocialissuesorChinesethemes.IfIhavesomethingnewtosay,Iwillfindanewwaytospeak.”
Outoftheexhibitionhall,UCCAprovidesarichliteratureofXuBing’sworkforaudiencetoread.WordsonthewallbrieflycombthroughXu’sworksinatimedsequence.
ArtforthePeoplebyXuBing,inkoncanvas,1,040×307cm,1999.