Xu bing spent seven years gathering materials, experimenting, revising, and arranging thousands of pictograms to construct the narrative of book from the. The phoenix sculpture is the subject of the documentary xu bing. Nov 20, 2015 born in 1955 in chongqing, china, xu bing plays with traditional chinese art forms, such as calligraphy, printmaking and ink painting, to create installations that question how we communicate. Xu bing is a chinese artist who served as vicepresident of the central academy of fine arts. Born in sichuan in 1955, xu bing is widely considered to be among the most important chinese artists working today. Installation of books and scrolls printed from carved wood types of invented characters, ink on paper, dimensions variable. Xu bing tian shu book from the sky, tian shu is comprised of a display of books spread in a large rectangle across the ground, above which voluptuous scrolls unroll in long, pregnant. Xu bing tian shu book from the sky, tian shu is comprised of a display of books spread in a large rectangle across the. Chinese printmaker xu bing is a teacher at beijings prestigious central academy of fine arts and a respected practitioner of the official social realist style. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains. May 01, 2012 now i have created book from the ground, a book that anyone can read. Inside each volume there is a cornucopia of traditional chinese bookdesign features often modelled on specific rare books which xu bing consulted but formally altered or subverted. The work will be suspended from the buildings nave for the next year, having migrated from the massachusetts museum o.
Memorable quotes and exchanges from movies, tv series and more. On tonights episode of game changers, we got up close and personal with xu bing, one of the few chinese contemporary artists whose influence. Installation view at blanton museum of art, the university of texas at austin, 2016. Jun 11, 20 xu bings phoenix at mass moca in north adams, ma. Until today, xu bing keeps exploring a variety of methods to present different ideas in his works. Chinese artist xu bings book without borders newsweek. Chinese artists never stop playing with methodology from the most convenient way through calligraphy and printmaking to video presentation.
Xu bings tianshu book from the sky is a large installation featuring precisely laid out rows of books and hanging scrolls with written chinese texts. The installation features two monumental birds fabricated entirely from materials harvested from construction sites in urban china, including demolition debris, steel beams, tools, and. In 1991, xu bing held his first exhibition in the united states, at the elvehjem now the chazen museum of art. The exhibit explores the twoyear effort to complete chinese contemporary artist xu bings phoenix project and offers a look into the ways both creation and destruction can be part of the. The work will be suspended from the buildings nave for the next year, having migrated from the massachusetts museum of contemporary art mmoca. The accompanying explanatory book, the book about xu bings book from the ground, includes documentation of the wider project when it has been presented in the context of an exhibition, and includes its development as a software program that translates chinese and english text into pictograms and symbols. Austin, txapril 14, 2016the blanton museum of art at the university of texas at austin presents xu bing. He explains that his works are all linked by a common thread, which is to construct some kind of obstacle to peoples habitual ways of thinkingwhat i call the. Xu bing s art medium has evolved over the years, morphing from one style to the next. The 1980s book from the sky was one of his early works that explores the horizon of the traditional elite culture, demonstrating the impact of socialist ideals on postcultural revolutionary china. Xu bing is one of the 6 artists from 53 countries that will be exhibiting at the biennale. Important art by xu bing with artwork analysis, influences, achievement, and.
According to the artist, these have been arranged rhythmically across and within the four volumes. This presence is that of two mammoth birds created by chinese artist xu bing. Phoenix, background story, book from the ground,tabacco project. Phoenix massachusetts museum of contemporary art, usa. The installation features two monumental birds fabricated entirely from materials harvested from construction sites in urban china, including demolition debris, steel beams, tools, and remnants of the daily lives. Hui yue is a friendly person who first believed that everyone was innocent until otherwise stated. A disassembled copy of this book is arranged page by page along a reading ledge in the exhibition space where xu bing s mighty phoenixes fly. Now i have created book from the ground, a book that anyone can read. Clear in expression and sharp when tackling issues, xu bing s work is sui generis among contemporary art and he keeps influencing the landscape of chinese contemporary art at.
This companion volume to book from the ground chronicles the entire project, mapping the history of xu bing s novel creation from inspiration to. Sep, 2018 on tonights episode of game changers, we got up close and personal with xu bing, one of the few chinese contemporary artists whose influence extends to the international stage. The artist first compiled symbols drawn from the public sphere and wrote a book using only these signs. For the chinese audience in particular, xus book from the sky is profoundly disorientating. John the divine cathedral, xu bings work addresses a public beyond. Dec 22, 2012 phoenix was the centerpiece of an exhibition of related art by xu bing, widely considered to be among the most important chinese artists working today. First realized in the form of a 604page, 4volume book, xu bing replicated its. Aug 08, 2014 xu bing is widely considered to be among the prominent chinese artists of today. The book is written in a way that any reader, regardless of his or her cultural or educational background, can understand. Although the pictogramonly narrative in xu bings book from the ground can be read by anyone, there is much more to the story of xu bings wordless book than can be gleaned from icons alone. Though, one of his wellknown installations is a gigantic flying dragon titled phoenix how was phoenix created. They were previously on view at massmoca, north adams, ma, and have been exhibited in china at the today art museum, beijing, and expo10, shanghai. His piece will be located over the water between two boathouses at the pavilion at arsenale giardino delle vergini.
Xu bing at the cathedral is the second presentation of these works in the united states. The wall panels, hanging scrolls and books which create the space conjure an atmosphere. Even so, this work challenges our very approach to language because of the unique nature of the text written on the paper. Xu bing is an internationally celebrated chinese artist. Mar 01, 2005 this book documents an exhibition entitled where heaven meets earth, comprising works by atists xu bing and cai guoqiang. Museum of contemporary art, north adams, massachusetts, usa. Book from the ground represents an innovative and contemporary means of.
Mar 05, 2014 chinese artist xu bings majestic phoenix installation has spread its wings inside the cathedral of st john the divine in new york. Xu bing studio blog uptodate information about the. Suspended from the cathedrals vaulted ceiling by an elaborate rigging system almost as wondrous as the massive pendants in its charge, the beasts, collectively titled phoenix 2008 10, conspire with their host to create a commanding appeal for hope and. Pioneering chinese contemporary artist xu bing creates powerful, poignant mixedmedia installations, in which he subverts systems of language, upending expectations and perception. Phoenix has been shown at the today art museum in beijing, the shanghai world. Book from the sky, a monumental installation by celebrated chinese artist xu bing. Hui yues personality undergoes a change and he becomes more ruthless through his years in the new world where he becomes alert, yet some of his original personality remains as he wishes to believe in people. Artist xu bings phoenix takes flight at the cathedral of. Book from the sky to book from the ground the book works of xu bing. Frost art museum, usa things are not what they first appear.
An opening reception took place on april 27, in conjunction with the installation of a second chapter of the exhibition. Xu bing will be unveiling his new phoenix2015 at the 2015 venice biennale this upcoming may. From point to point shanghai gallery of art, shanghai, china. Thought and method is on display at museum macan from 31 august 2019 12 january 2020. Drawing inspiration from the contemporary realities of his fastchanging country, chinese artist xu bing spent two years creating his newest work. Book from the sky 19871991 book from the sky 19871991 book from the ground 2003 ongoing. Chinese artist xu bings majestic phoenix installation has spread its wings inside the cathedral of st john the divine in new york. Following his classic work book from the sky, the chinese artist xu bing presents a new graphic novel. Or, in the case of chinese artist xu bings massive phoenix sculptures, out of the salvaged debris.
A selection of xu bings preparatory drawings for this installation is also on view. On october 16, he returns to madison with xu bing, background story. Xu bing at the cathedral, saturday, march 1, 2014 at the cathedral of st. Over the past three decades, xu bing has followed multiple threads of thinking and created a variety of artworks, impressive in quantity and style. Xu bings book from the sky for which he created between 2000 and 4000 false chinese characters all handprinted for this instillation piece. First realized in the form of a 604page, 4volume book, xu bing replicated its content to become an immersive installation piece. Regarded as one of the masterpieces of twentieth century chinese art, book from the sky ushered in the avantgarde movement in postmao era china. Dec 19, 2012 drawing inspiration from the contemporary realities of his fastchanging country, chinese artist xu bing spent two years creating his newest work, phoenix. Regarded as one of the masterpieces of twentiethcentury chinese art, book from the sky ushered in the avantgarde movement in postmao era china. From point to point, shanghai gallery of art, shanghai, china. Born in 1955 in chongqing, china, xu bing plays with traditional chinese art forms, such as calligraphy, printmaking and ink painting, to create installations that question how we communicate.
He works in a couple of disciplines and materials but the most common is ink painting, printmaking, and calligraphy 1. Xu bing exhibitions three installations by xu bing. Out of the ashes the phoenix rises, as the old myth goes. Book from the sky to book from the ground eslite gallery, taipei, taiwan. Xu bing is a chineseborn artist, who was resident in the united states for over ten years, but now lives in beijing, where he serves as the president of the central academy of fine arts. A disassembled copy of this book is arranged page by page along a reading ledge in the exhibition space where xu bings mighty phoenixes fly. Xu bing following his classic work book from the sky, the chinese artist xu bing presents a new graphic novel one composed entirely of symbols and icons that are universally understood. Crafted from workers tools and debris salvaged from demolition sites across beijing, the monumental duet. Using chinese language, the living word 3 includes more and larger characters than the previous two versions. Phoenix, mass moca, north adams, massachusetts, usa. Jun 24, 2015 xu bing will be unveiling his new phoenix2015 at the 2015 venice biennale this upcoming may. The book, which consists of four volumes totaling 604 pages, was printed in a. The phoenix project marks a transition in bings artistic career. A selection of xu bing s preparatory drawings for this installation is also on view.
Although the pictogramonly narrative in xu bing s book from the ground can be read by anyone, there is much more to the story of xu bing s wordless book than can be gleaned from icons alone. Xu bings tianshu book from the sky is a large installation featuring precisely laid out. In ancient chinese, the character shu signifies books, written characters, and the act of writing, and writing between heaven and earth presents the shu art of xu bing, four projects that demonstrate the relationship between writing and imageliterally, the art of writing. At the morgan, xu bing designed a third version specifically for the soaring space of renzo pianos gilbert court. Xu bing aerial phoenix project, today art museum, beijing, china, document. It is a hardcover volume that has drawings, color photographs, and a few texts describing the events that took place on the 91st floor of wtc. From his prints about rural landscape to his current work in metal, phoenix in st. Since that time, xu bing has become one of the worlds bestknown artists. Like book from the sky, square word calligraphy and book from the ground, phoenix is not what it seems at first glance. May 01, 20 the exhibit explores the twoyear effort to complete chinese contemporary artist xu bings phoenix project and offers a look into the ways both creation and destruction can be part of the. In a book from the sky, xu bing evoked the past so as to critically examine his present and look to the future, and revealed an engagement with language, history, and cultural critique that continues to inform his work, including the morgan librarys the living word. Mar 25, 2015 xu bing will be unveiling his new phoenix2015 at the 2015 venice biennale this upcoming may. A pair of phoenix sculptures by xu bing, the internationally acclaimed chinese artist, were recently hung in the nave of the cathedral church of st.
Xu bing exhibitions writing between heaven and earth. Drawing inspiration from the contemporary realities of his fastchanging country, chinese artist xu bing spent two years creating his newest work, phoenix. Aug 04, 2011 in a book from the sky, xu bing evoked the past so as to critically examine his present and look to the future, and revealed an engagement with language, history, and cultural critique that continues to inform his work, including the morgan librarys the living word. Feb 15, 2014 a pair of phoenix sculptures by xu bing, the internationally acclaimed chinese artist, were recently hung in the nave of the cathedral church of st. Inside each volume there is a cornucopia of traditional chinese book design features often modelled on specific rare books which xu bing consulted but formally altered or subverted. Suspended from the cathedrals vaulted ceiling by an elaborate rigging system almost as wondrous as the massive pendants in its charge, the beasts. It also won xu bing international recognition, including the prestigious macarthur foundation genius. If youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. Artist xu bings phoenix takes flight at the cathedral.
Xu bing has been undertaking his book from the ground project since 2003. Tianshu is the title of a book produced by chinese artist xu bing in the style of fine editions from the song and ming dynasties, but filled entirely with meaningless glyphs designed to resemble traditional chinese characters. This book documents an exhibition entitled where heaven meets earth, comprising works by atists xu bing and cai guoqiang. Phoenix was the centerpiece of an exhibition of related art by xu bing, widely considered to be among the most important chinese artists working today.
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