Xu Zhen’s Artistic Journey: From Prankster to Pioneer
Xu Zhen's Artistic Journey: From Prankster to Pioneer
- Xu Zhen, the art prankster and founder of MadeIn Art Museum, returns with a new solo show at G Museum in Nanjing.
- His “Passion” series captures the essence of our digital age with paintings of social media screenshots.
- Xu Zhen’s diverse artistic approach and entrepreneurial ventures have shaped China’s contemporary art landscape.
enowned for his playful and conceptual approach, Xu Zhen, the art prankster, publisher, and museum founder, has returned to the limelight with a captivating solo exhibition at the G Museum in Nanjing. After a period of supporting fellow artists, Xu Zhen's latest show enthralls audiences with paintings of social media screenshots, capturing the essence of our contemporary need for connection.
The G Museum, perched on the 52nd floor of Golden Eagle World, provides a fitting backdrop for Xu Zhen’s thought-provoking exhibition. Moving away from his earlier political works, Xu now focuses on critiquing China’s consumerist frenzy within the globalized context. His diverse artistic arsenal includes installations, photography, videos, and performances, weaving humor and subtle sarcasm into his creations.
The new series, titled “Passion,” delves into the ubiquitous presence of social media platforms in our lives. Xu Zhen believes these “messenger screenshots” represent a defining image of our time, particularly as the pandemic heightened our reliance on smartphones and online connections. Extracting text snippets from WeChat conversations, Xu infuses abstract brushstrokes to convey the underlying emotions and sentiments within the text bubbles. Despite the smudged appearance, the familiarity of the messenger app interface establishes an immediate connection with viewers.
Xu Zhen’s reputation as a leading artist among his post-1970s peers is well-deserved. Rising to fame in his early 20s, he became the youngest Chinese artist to participate in the prestigious Venice Biennale in 2001. Notably, he made waves in the art market when his artwork Xuzhen Supermarket fetched a record price for conceptual art in Asia.
Apart from his artistic endeavors, Xu Zhen has proved to be an innovative entrepreneur. Co-founding Shanghai’s first independent nonprofit organization, the BizArt Center, he later established the MadeIn Gallery and ventured into museum ownership with the MadeIn Art Museum on Chongming Island. Rejecting the traditional white-cube interiors, the museum challenges the gentrification trend in China’s private art museum landscape.
In a candid interview before the G Museum opening, Xu Zhen discussed his “Passion” paintings, the philosophy behind his brand and company model, and the unconventional vision for the MadeIn Art Museum. He emphasized the importance of creating an enjoyable and pluralistic space, offering a refreshing departure from the conventional art world norms.
Reflecting on the current state of the Chinese contemporary art world, Xu Zhen observed that truly exceptional artists possess long-term sustainability in their practice. However, he noted a lack of accumulation and critique systems in the rise of Chinese art museums. Young artists, he observed, often create within the confines of existing frameworks, responding to institutional interests and viewpoints, both in China and globally.
