Xingrui Xu: Removing Mountains
@ SITE gallery
37 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60603
On view through Saturday, November 26th
Xingrui Xu: Removing Mountains is a solo exhibition of works by Xingrui Xu. The exhibition reveals his evolving experiments on ceramics in recent years and explores the relationship between the artist’s labor and the natural forces of the material.
Throughout Xu’s practices, an ancient Chinese fable called “The Foolish Man Removes the Mountains” resonates in his mind. The story goes like this:
A 90-year-old man lived near two mountains that blocked his passageway. He thought of moving the soil and rocks with simple tools. Others laughed at this seemingly impossible task, but the old man believed his children, grandchildren, and generation after generation could accomplish this eventually. In the end, the gods of nature were moved by his determination and removed these mountains.
Time and again, this story has been reinterpreted to demonstrate the success of human willpower. However, Xu values the process of removing mountains more than the ultimate result. This story comes from “Liezi,” a Taoist text from the 4th century BC. Taoism encourages individuals to live in harmony with nature because human understanding is limited when compared to the long-existing earth. Xu views the old man’s act as a way to interact with nature rather than overcome it.
The mountains in the story were removed, yet the soil and rocks did not melt into the air but were transferred to other places. Nature can reveal itself in boundless possible forms. Ceramics are earthy and flexible, and Xu molds them into different shapes. Three series of works: “Mountains and Rocks,” “Buddhas,” and “Ceramic Paintings,” show the artist’s different perspectives to think about ceramics in contemporary art.
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Tags: Ceramics, Chciago, Chicago, Loop, Removing Mountains, SITE Gallery, Xingrui Xu
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