World Renowned Artist Xu Bing to Present Artist Talk at MASS MoCA

Media contact: Noelle Lemoine, communications assistant; tele: (413) 597-4277; email: [email protected]

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., April 5, 2013—Contemporary Chinese artist Xu Bing will give a talk about his work, which is currently on display at MASS MoCA. The presentation will be held on Friday, April 26, at 5 p.m. in MASS MoCA’s B10 Theater. The event is free for Williams students, faculty, and staff, as well as MASS MoCA members. Admission for the lecture and reception is $8 for the general public.

Bing’s lecture coincides with the opening of his third project at the museum about calligraphy. The other two works already on display are the largescale Phoenix project and the Tobacco project. His discussion will explore the background story of the Phoenix project and will cover the unusual construction of the sculptures, the symbolism of his work in both ancient and modern Chinese culture, and the status of art in China today.

Bing is best known for his printmaking skills and installations pieces. He is also known for his innovative use of language and how it affects our understanding of the world. He currently serves as the vice-president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C., the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Prague. His work has appeared in multiple high school and college textbooks. Bing is also the recipient of many awards and honors including a MacArthur Fellowship, Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize, Wales International Visual Art Prize, and an honorary degree from Columbia University.

Bing earned his bachelor’s degree and M.F.A. from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 1981 and 1987, respectively.

The event is sponsored by the Center for Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and the department of Asian Studies. Support was also provided by the James A. Linen III 1934 Fund and the W. Ford Schumann ’50 Program for Democratic Studies.

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