Mostly known for his photographs from the series "Hiding in the City", a work he initiated in 2005, almost everyone often forgot that Liu Bolin is also a sculptor. Born in 1973 in Shandong, a province in eastern China, in the south of Beijing, he first obtained a degree in sculpture at the University of Fine Arts of Shandong. He then taught art for nearly four years, before undertaking two further years on studies at the Institute of Fine Arts in China. The exhibition returns to this type of work exhibiting the latest sculptures of the artist. Now internationally recognized as one of the leading figures of the contemporary Chinese art scene thanks to his photographic "camouflage" around different cities of the world, Liu Bolin proves with these pieces that art of concealment can also find is place in his sculptural work. "The man goes blind in the world, he can’t see clear. He hides himself in many things, and we hide him things too, " said Liu Bolin.
Despite his worldwide fame, it is the first time ever in Shanghai one can see the complete line of Liu Bolin's work from the beginnings until the present days. Known for his “Invisible Man” photo-performance, Liu Bolin has through the years been working on different subsequent themes. Media as sculpture being one that can’t be ignored, for they provide variation in his consistent research. Sculptures, as his photographs, show how the outside can blend with the inside and vice versa. Liu Bolin’s work requires meticulous planning and execution. It all lies in the perfection of the vision, whether it is an illusion or just a mirror surface. Liu Bolin uses the city around him as a backdrop, painting himself to blend in with a landscape in constant flux. By literally blending into the city, Liu creates a tension that challenges the viewer to question what is above and beneath the surface. For Liu, the most important element of his images is the background. Each image requires rigorous planning and execution: as both artist and performer, Liu directs the photographer on how to compose each scene before entering the frame. Once situated, he puts on a monochromatic uniform, which he wears for all of his Invisible Man photographs and, with the help of an assistant and painter, is painted seamlessly into the scene. This process can sometimes take up to 10 hours with Liu having to stand perfectly still. Although the end result of Liu’s process is the photograph, the tension between his body and the landscape is an important aspect to the process.
About the exhibition
Title: Liu Bolin Part 2 The Crawling Man
Duration: 11 May 2013 through to 29 June, 2013
Opening: 11 May, 2013 from 6pm to 9pm
Venue: Gallery Magda Danysz
Address: 188 Linqing Road ( x Pingliang Road), Shanghai
Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Magda Danysz.
