Duration: December 28, 2022 - May 28, 2023

Title: Communication Through Art -- Wuhan Biennale 2022

Location: Wuhan Art Museum, Wuhan, China

Exhibited Work: Xu Bing Tianshu Rocket

Launched by Xu Bing and i-Space, Xu Bing Tianshu Rocket is an invaluable contribution to the evolving realm of space art. This unprecedented “art rocket” pays homage to the achievements of Chinese astronauts and embodies the innovative spirit that resonates in Xu Bing’s works. Painted with invented characters found in the archetypal Book from the Sky (1988), the rocket acts as a vessel that continues to question the arbitrary nature of language and its limitations. 

“After completing the propulsion task, the sub-stage arrow will separate from the load compartment and return to the ground. These ‘pseudo-characters’ [represent] a unique [artistic expression that reconstructs] natural forces such as fire [propulsion], atmospheric friction, and [the descent of the rocket]. [They] challenge the boundaries of human ability and behavior, [while also creating] art." - Xu Bing, April 2021

The “art rocket” was launched into space from Jiuquan, Northwest China on February 1, 2021, venturing into territories of space where humanity’s dominance is absent. Xu Bing has emphasized that the artistic philosophy of Qi Baishi’s work, which revolves around acknowledging the importance of providing space for nature and understanding its role, is intrinsic to the launching of this “art rocket." It is worth noting that the functioning of the rocket itself relies on the interaction between the rocket and the Earth's atmosphere. As such, the “art rocket” becomes a manifestation of this philosophy. Without atmospheric response, Nature’s intervention, the first-stage and second-stage rockets would not have ignited before impact. 

"Launch desire, crisis, and the unknown into outer space." - Xu Bing, April 2021

Duration: December 16, 2022 - March 19, 2023

Title: Transmutation: The 7th Guangzhou Triennale

Location: Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China

Exhibited Work: The Seven-Character Poetry Collection of Small Enterprises

Starting from 2015, Xu Bing has amassed an extensive collection of clothing brand labels from numerous private enterprises. When brought together, these labels reflect the history of their entrepreneurship, development, bottlenecks, transformations, and acquisitions. Furthermore, we can perceive the brand names as carriers of people’s hopes and aspirations for the future. For this project, a “poem writing software” has been developed. The computer program searches for appropriate words and sentences among fashion label tags to create a Seven-Character Poem which is later compiled into the collection. This process also symbolizes an advancement in the creation of an “artist book.”

Duration: June 7, 2022 - July 7, 2022

Title: Accumulation -- Print Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Art Masters

Location: JinJi Lake Art Museum, Suzhou, China

Exhibited Work: Phoenix

Duration: August 11, 2022 - October 11, 2022 

Title: The Grand Canal As Epic on Earth

Location: Zhejiang Art Museum, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

Exhibited Work: The Grand Canal

Duration: April 23, 2022 - August 28, 2022 

Title: Body Cosmos: the Art of Living Together

Location: Xie Zilong Photography Art Museum, Changsha, Hunan Province 

Exhibited Work: Space Animation Installation 

Dragonfly Eyes

SCA-1 is an art satellite, it has been launched on February 3, 2024.

This satellite is produced by the Xu Bing Studio and Beijing Wanhu Chuangshi Co. Before SCA-1, among the thousands of satellites flying above us today, there are scientific satellites, meteorological, communication, and military ones, but an "art satellite" has been missing.

Xu Bing set the concept of this satellite as follows: "By inviting artists to participate in the Space Art Residency Program, we will share the rights and interests of using this satellite and create our own works.  It is an attempt to build a dialogue between space technology and contemporary art, extending our thinking to a broader space in exploring this highly 'futuristic' field.

Duration: May 20, 2022 - July 1, 2022

Title: Louis&Vuitton Exhibition

Location: Olympic Sailing Center, Qingdao, China

Exhibited work: Square Word Calligraphy: Four Treasures of the Study box

Duration: April 20, 2022 - June 30, 2024 

Title: The World of Study 

Location: Meridian Gate Exhibition Area of the Palace Museum 

Exhibited work: Book from the Sky, 

The Genetics of Reading Image

When Xu Bing first displayed a piece of art “The Book from the Sky" that he had created 35 years prior, a reader approached him and stated, "I felt the dignity of words for the first time." According to Xu Bing, words are no longer a tool that the world abuses but rather an independent entity with dignity and beauty when "The Book of Heaven" removes the practical aspect of words and just keeps their exterior gesture, preventing people from obtaining or expressing any knowledge through them. Similar to Chinese calligraphy, which is the purest form of art in the world, the word's appearance has been taken to an extreme. The unreadable "The Book from the Sky" set is displayed beside the Pentateuch in the Forbidden City as a modern piece of art, demonstrating the contemporary art movement's pursuit of expanding notions and ways of thinking.

The new exhibition Xu Bing: Gravitational Arena officially opened on August 12, 2022 in the Exhibition Hall X of Museum of Art Pudong (MAP). This exhibition was produced by the Lujiazui Group and organized by MAP. Composed of 1600 metal Square Word Calligraphy characters, with a visual depth of more than 50 meters, this enormous installation was tailored by artist Xu Bing for the Exhibition Hall X at MAP, a unique art space across the globe. It is another astonishing piece of commissioned work exhibited at the museum since its opening.

Duration: February 18 — May 8, 2022

Location: Honolulu Museum of Art

Exhibited Work: Background Story: Lu Mountain

PACIFIC CENTURY – E HO‘OMAU NO MOANANUIĀKEA

Hawai‘i Triennial 2022 (HT22) will be framed around the fluid concept of Pacific Century - E Ho‘omau no Moananuiākea, interweaving themes of history, place, and identity within the context of Hawaiʻi’s unique location at the confluence of Asia-Pacific and Oceania. 

HT22’s 43 artists and collectives feature over 60 participants including internationally renowned cultural figures exhibiting alongside multiple generations of Hawai‘i-based artists, as well as others making their U.S. institutional debut. The citywide exhibition will take place at: Bishop Museum, Foster Botanical Garden, Hawaii Theatre Center, Hawai‘i State Art Museum, Iolani Palace, Honolulu Museum of Art, and Royal Hawaiian Center. 

Duration: February 19th, 2022 - April 24th, 2022

Location: L'Oeil De Poisson

Exhibited work: Background Story: Peach Blossom Valley