XU BING

Portrait of Xu Bing ©Xu Bing Studio

Xu Bing is widely recognized as one of the leading conceptual artists of language and semiotics working today. His work ranges from large-scale installations to feature-length films and ink paintings. He is also a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Art, China, where he was previously the vice president. Xu Bing’s work has been shown at the National Art Museum of China, the Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the British Museum, London; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Spain; the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, D.C.; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; National Gallery of Prague, Czech Republic; and Museum Ludwig, Cologne. Additionally, Xu Bing has participated in the 45th, 51st, and 56th Venice Biennales, the Biennale of Sydney, and the Johannesburg Biennale, among other international exhibitions.

In 1999, Xu Bing was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship, the highest creative talent award in the United States in recognition of his “capacity to contribute importantly to society, particularly in printmaking and calligraphy.” In 2003, he was conferred the 14th Fukuoka Asian Culture Award for his “contribution to the development of Asian culture.” In 2004, he won the first Artes Mundi Prize in Wales. Reasons for the jury's award: "Xu Bing is an artist who can transcend cultural boundaries, convert Eastern and Western cultures, and express his thoughts and practical issues in visual language.” In 2006, the Southern Graphics Council conferred on Xu Bing its lifetime achievement award in recognition of the fact that his “use of text, language and books has impacted the dialogue of the print and art worlds in significant ways.” In 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Humanities from Columbia University. In 2018, he was awarded the “Xu Beihong-Art Creation Award” by the Education Development Foundation of the CAFA.

LUCIJA ŠUTEJ: Which print techniques do you find the most intriguing - and why?

XU BING: Among the various printmaking techniques and types, I am the most interested in black-and-white woodcuts. The method of producing a woodcut can be described as encapsulating, concise, and refined. Complex subjects can be captured vividly with just a few carvings, blocks of colors, and minimalist shapes. For example, a tree might have thousands of leaves, but in a woodcut, leaves might be suggested with just a few carved marks. One carved mark can represent thousands of leaves on a tree.

LŠ: What limitations did you encounter with the medium, and which techniques did you find particularly challenging?

XB: Every medium has its unique characteristics and limitations. To an artist, the most critical task is to thoroughly utilize and explore the limitations of a medium. Then the beauty of this particular medium will be expressed to its fullest extent.

Xu Bing, Bustling Village on the Water, 1980, 54.5 x 55.4 cm, woodblock print, ©Xu Bing Studio

LŠ: With projects such as Book from the Sky and Square Word Calligraphy—we also dwell into the medium of artists' books. In an increasingly digital world, what does the tangibility of publications and handmade books mean to you? Are there any artists' books or publications by other creators that have particularly spoken you?

XB: To make an artist's book, the artist thoughtfully designs the "space" of a book, combining reading, aesthetics, and tactility into a unified artistic experience. The artist arranges the text, imagery, and binding, fully exploring the interplay of text, poetry, image, paper, ink, and tactile sensation. This art form encompasses people’s enduring fascination with the act of turning pages, observing printed marks, and sensing the scent of ink and paper —an experience rooted in the history of books. In recent years, while digital books have been replacing physical books, artist’s books have taken on the role of preserving the rich culture of books beyond their function as mere vessels for reading. This has allowed artist’s books to develop alongside digital books. Today, we find ourselves in a moment of transformation, where printed books may ultimately be reimagined as works of art or cultural artifacts.

I have been inspired by many outstanding artist’s books throughout history. When I created the exhibition Diamond Leaves: Artist Books from Around the World, I chose to show Kafka’s Contemplation as one of the first artist’s books. As a writer, he worked with the typographer to set and print the book. What inspired me the most was his deliberate choice to leave a large blank area around the text. This reflects Kafka’s profound respect for books and the written word.

Xu Bing ed., Franz Kafka’s book Betrachtung, 1973, in Diamond Leaves: Artist Books from around the World, 2015. ©Xu Bing Studio

Xu Bing, Installation view of Book from the Sky, 1987-1991, mixed media installation, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1998, ©Xu Bing Studio

Xu Bing, Square Word Calligraphy: Art for the People, 2002, ink on paper, ©Xu Bing Studio

LŠ: Your recent project, such as the Xu Bing Tianshu Rocket, explores the intersection of art and space exploration.  Firstly—what opportunities does space offer for artistic expression, and challenge traditional notions of art? The Tianshu Rocket carries the invented Chinese characters into space. What does it mean to send these symbols—rooted in language and meaning—into the unknown?

XB: The intersection of art and space technology opens up a new domain for us. I once said that what science cannot address art can, and vice versa.

Since ancient times, humanity has imagined outer space. Classical paintings and ancient Chinese poetry contain many expressions related to the cosmos, yet at that time, space technology did not exist. During the Cold War, space technology advanced tremendously, but it remained under government control. With the rise of private space technology companies,pioneered by the United States and now rapidly expanding in China, artists finally have the opportunity to create art using professional space technology. I see this as the arrival of a new era of artistic creation.

From my years of involvement in space-related art projects, my most profound realization is that space provides artists on Earth with an entirely new creative mindset and set of tools. At the same time, it presents new challenges for artistic creation and conceptual thinking. Undoubtedly, this contributes to the advancement of art.

For a long time, humanity has debated what languages to use to communicate with extraterrestrials. But in reality, this question may be a false proposition. We do not even know what extraterrestrial beings look like, let alone how they communicate. Taking incomprehensible script into outer space carries a unique significance. No one, including myself, can read Book from the Sky, and therefore it places everyone on an equal footing, not just humans on Earth but potentially extraterrestrials as well.

LŠ: How do you see the relationship between art and science evolving—particularly in the context of space exploration? What contributions can art bring?

XB: Any new technology or influx of data forces us to reevaluate old questions in the realm of art and imagination. The progress of human civilization has always been driven by the optimal balance between two types of thinking: left-brain individuals focus on organization and order, while right-brain individuals disrupt and rearrange that order. Creativity emerges only when the structured system loosens, allowing space for innovation.

I place great importance on the transformative influence of societal shifts on artistic creation. I often say that the creative power in the art world comes from outside the art system. Whether it is technology or AI, these belong to our new social landscapes, and I am drawn to them because they will be essential to the next era of civilization.

In recent years, we have dedicated significant effort to space art, including our latest initiative, the Xu Bing Space Art Residency Program. This field is incredibly forward-looking and worth participating in. Five years ago, I first got involved in space art by launching an art rocket. Now, we have two dedicated art satellites in orbit. My hope is to lower the barriers to entry for space art, encouraging broader participation to accelerate its development.

With space technology shifting from government control to private enterprises, a new era of possibilities has opened for space-based artistic creation. We have partnered with Beijing Wanhoo Co.Ltd to launch the Star Chain of Arts Project, the world’s first interconnected art satellite platform. This project overcomes the limitations of past space art initiatives, which were mostly isolated endeavors. Through the Xu Bing Space Art Residency Program, we aim to facilitate resource sharing and provide artists with a cosmic perspective by granting access to satellites for artistic creation.

In February 2024, the Star Chain of Arts Project successfully launched SCA-1, the world’s first shared art satellite, followed by the SCA-2 satellite in September. These two satellites will remain in orbit for three years, generating a significant cultural and social impact on space exploration. To date, more than 40 artists have participated in the residency, and we release a new project approximately every two weeks. By the end of the three years, the scale of this artistic endeavor will be beyond imagination.

Xu Bing working with technicians on the SCA satellite. © Xu Bing Studio.

LŠ: Part of the associated project was exhibited in a church in Venice—why was this sacred place chosen as an exhibition venue?

XB: My exhibition Xu Bing: Art Satellite—The First Animated Film Shot in Space opened on April 17, 2024, at the Santa Veneranda Church in Venice. The exhibition was divided into two parts: the first part showcased Satellite Lake: Cosmic Reflections, the first animated film shot in space. The second part explains the inspiration behind the project, along with details about the ongoing Xu Bing Space Art Residency Program.

The Santa Veneranda Church was chosen for two unique reasons. First, it has a blank dome, which is unusual for most Catholic churches. It is also an active place of worship. Additionally, an inscription on the exterior of the church reads:"All’Italia al mondo implore luce pace" ("To Italy and the world, implore light and peace"). This sentiment aligns with the vision behind space art—leveraging space technology to offer a broader perspective and to continue humanity’s age-old pursuit of peace.

Xu Bing, Installation view of Xu Bing: Art Satellite—the First Animation Shot in Space, 2024, Santa Veneranda Chapel, Venice, Italy. © Xu Bing Studio.

LŠ: You’ve spoken about the relationship between art and AI, where you emphasized that as AI develops, art becomes increasingly more important. How do you see art maintaining its voice in an age of challenging rapid technological advancement? What role can artists play in shaping this future?

XB: AI learns and organizes vast amounts of data, making itself smarter, broadening its perspective, and developing seemingly more objective views. From this angle, this is what a human lacks because we are limited by our perspectives and tend to be driven by personal interests.

So, what kind of help does AI offer us? It provides us with new conditions that are more particular than ever to distinguish what is artistic and what is technological. AI surpasses any human artist when it comes to techniques. This prompts us to reflect on the boundary of art. What is the essence of art? Which parts are technical, and which parts are artistic? How do the two relate? If AI can replace all the technical parts, what is left?

I’ve come to realize that the essence of art is something inherently "produced" by humans—it’s unique, unpredictable, and full of uncertainty. AI can’t replicate that. The most fundamental part of art comes from our physical being—our entire body, and even down to our body temperature. The more it carries human energy, the more authentic it becomes—and the more important it is.

In short, I love art and appreciate my field more than ever before. In the past, I sometimes felt that whether I made art or not didn’t seem to matter. But now, I truly believe that art is important. While AI is advancing at an unprecedented speed, there needs to be something to challenge and inspire it—something that maintains balance in human civilization. I believe art can do that.

LŠ: Are there themes or ideas that you feel have remained constant throughout your practice?

XB: I think that the lifework of an artist is to create a self-contained loop. Past, present, and future artworks all contribute to shaping and refining this loop. The more honest and true to yourself your work is, the more seamless this loop will be. Because culture and society are constantly evolving, introducing new disruptions that break open this loop, you cannot always keep it enclosed—doing so would disconnect you from the world. Each time social change creates a new gap, you must rethink and find new languages to mend it. This is why some artists are always working, creating, and pushing forward. They transform the energy of social change into their artistic creation.

Translated by Maisie Luo