It Begins with Metamorphosis – Xu Bing

Xu Bing is one of the most important Chinese artists working today. His sophisticated works reflect and challenge the political and social environments in China and elsewhere. It Begins with Metamorphosis: Xu Bing is the first solo exhibition of this artist in Hong Kong. It highlights how Xu Bing uses unexpected materials including silkworms, tobacco leaves, and discarded trash to craft elegant works that touch on cycles of lives and transformations.The catalogue opens with an essay by the curator, Yeewan Koon, deepening our understanding of Xu Bing's process of working. Other scholarly essays investigate how the politics of prints, the social world of words and the traces of writing were also vital to his works. The experiential encounters of the exhibition connect the artist, his artworks, the curatorial team and the viewers enriching our understanding of Xu Bing, but also of art and its many possibilities.