March 26—April 12, 2011, new works belong to the series “Ladder” and “Poppy” recently created by artist Xu Zhongmin are exhibited at the Today Art Museum, Beijing. This successful exhibition would be taken as an important milestone in Xu Zhongmin’s career.

Xu Zhongmin

As one of the most important contemporary artists in China, Xu Zhongmin works in woodcuts, video installations and performances. Born in Sichuan province in China he’s now living and working in London and Beijing. His works are featured with cross-border feelings which are quite difficult to define. Through his effective use of various means and ideological connotation, he constructs an ultra-realistic vision. The modern city and its inhabitants, the chaos and the lull, identity and anonymity, lust and greed are rendered tangible in his body of works.

Xu’s works of art has brought us with endless surprise and insights, such as Rotating Mountain, Egg Shape, Tunnel and Cloud, etc. which bear his thoughts and comprehension on mystique of life and the multi-dimensional world. “Walk” and “Cycle” constitute important parts of his artistic expression and they arouse thoughts on culture and life. The process of human physical existence is represented by him with a circular motion of universal experience. “Walk” stands for a non-specific cultural identity which builds a bridge between devotional ancient civilization and modernity we are ever after. He makes use of the variant and charming visual image to show the audience the mysterious “reality” that lies within time and space.

Xu Zhongmin's Work

From his first piece of mechanical installation “Bridge” to the series of “Ladder” and “Poppy”, they all manifest experiences in modern society and the post-industry. As he said, “the distortion of global culture took place in post-modernity laid great influence on modern artists, resulting in their more attention on how to survive, how to endure and how to end. To some extent during one’ lifetime, one would naturally think about them. Thus when I create my works, I take it as a self-redeemed spiritual journey full of sweet and sour.”

As curator Huan Du has said, “Xu Zhongmin’s creations could be taken as a fictional Utopia which expresses human’s experience and faith for Utopia. It’s a solemn ceremony, a funny game, a dainty drama as well as a kind of transboundary art. Visually filtrated and distillated from reality, his works interpret the mystery of life and characteristic “force majeure” in ultra-realistic way and invite audience to share his experience.

Title of the exhibition:Xu Zhongmin’s Exhibition

Organizer: Today Art Museum

Opening: 3pm, March 26th,2011

Duration: March 27th-April 12th, 2011

Opening Hours: 10am-5pm，Monday-Sunday

Venue: The 2nd floor exhibition hall of building NO.1，Today Art Museum

Address: NO.32 Baiziwan Road,Chaoyang District,Beijing

Tel: 8610-58760600-100

Website：todayartmuseum.com