Known for his art pieces based on the concept of “new text,” contemporary artist Xu Bing recently presented his latest large-scale installation, “Xu Bing: Theater of Gravity,” in the central exhibition hall of the Shanghai Pudong Art Museum. This piece is composed of over a thousand metal “English block letters,” with a visual depth of over 50 meters, resembling a giant vortex of text!
“Gravity Theater” is an installation created by Xu Bing specifically for the central exhibition hall of the art museum. The work is vertically oriented towards the ground in the 30-meter deep exhibition hall, giving the appearance of being pulled down by gravity. The distorted text is reflected by a huge mirror at the bottom of the hall, highlighting the depth of penetration between the work and the space, creating a visually stunning effect.
As the audience moves, the visual experience of viewing the work also changes, and the work will present different faces. Xu Bing believes: “The ‘perspective’ used in the work is a language we use to describe the world, like all other languages, it is an intermediary between our thoughts and the external world; and our thoughts are also shaped by various languages, so they must have blind spots.” This work intentionally allows the audience to take the initiative and overcome visual blind spots.
The name of “Gravity Theater” also has multiple layers of meaning. “Gravity” describes the “wormhole” formed by the form of the work and its mirror image, while “Theater” presents a dramatic exhibition experience that showcases space from multiple floors and angles. Xu Bing uses the “entanglement phenomenon” between cosmic materials as the basis for the creation of this work, prompting everyone to think about the entanglement, struggles, pulls, and mutual influences between different cultures in the progress of human civilization.
Around the main work, the exhibition also displayed a series of supporting works in the public area on the underground floor. These auxiliary works provide a more diverse perspective for the audience to interpret “The Theater of Gravity.” The exhibition will last for one year, and there is also a solo exhibition “Xu Bing’s Language” featuring 70 multimedia works by the artist in the same gallery.
“Xu Bing: Gravity Theatre”
Date: From now until August 1, 2023
Location: Shanghai Pudong Art Museum, 2777 Binjiang Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai
Image source and learn more: Shanghai Pudong Art Museum, Xu Bing Studio
