Xu Bing:Seizing the Day

by Liang Sufang

Although Wenling of Zhejiang Province is his ancestral home， Xu was born in Chongqing in 1955， and grew up in Beijing. In 1977， he was admitted to the Printmaking Department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. After graduation in 1981， he stayed at the academy as a teacher. In 1987， he received a masters degree from CAFA and moved to the United States in 1990. Xu returned to China in 2007 and served as vice president， professor， and Ph. D. supervisor at CAFA. His work has been exhibited at the New Yorkbased Metropolitan Museum of Art， the British Museum， the Museum of Modern Art in New York， The Louvre， the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Venice Biennale.

Sacrificing his independence as an internationally renowned artist， Xu Bing returned to China in 2007， and a year later accepted an appointment as vice president of Chinas Central Academy of Fine Arts （CAFA）， which thrust him into the spotlight of Chinas art and education circles.

After graduating from CAFAs Printmaking Department in 1981， Xu remained at the school as a teacher. In 1990， he left CAFA for the United States. From that point forward， he lived abroad for 18 years. His work， including Book from the Sky， Ghost Pounding the Wall， and Square Word Calligraphy， won considerable acclaim， positioning him amongst the top contemporary Chinese artists in the international arena. Now， Xu has served as CAFA Vice President for nearly five years.

Along with his lofty reputation in the Western art world， the avant-garde Chinese artist is also widely accepted in the Chinese educational system. When asked about his method of surviving in the system， Xus recalled his own education at CAFA some 30 years ago. Xu believed that CAFA embodied the basic concepts of Chinas art education. Its tradition focuses on reality and service to the people. After performing excellently at CAFA， Xu visited many countries and sought their respective artistic atmospheres. The artistic values he learned in his early days continue to bring him the greatest inspiration today.“Some have marveled at my ability to continually produce new creations，” he reveals.“The reason is that I know， as an artist， how to connect with the real world.”

Xu doesnt like to pit tradition against modernity. Some ask artists whether they specialize in traditional or modern style， as if they are mutually exclusive. Xu believes that tradition and modernity are perpetually infused and inseparable. It is impossible to objectively rank artistic styles. There is no such thing as superior or inferior artistic style. But excellent artists are well aware of the relationship between their work and the era， especially the likes of Qi Baishi， Andy Warhol， and Marcel Duchamp. “I have a tight grip on the times. Some complain about reality， but thats what we need to face. Artists must absorb their nutrition from real life. I know the connection between life and art， and thats from whence my inspiration.”

These days， Xus art production has slowed due to his busy schedule. Some of his colleagues in the West lament that they “have lost a great artist.” “They care about my work and hope to spark more creative energy，” Xu smiles. “Actually， an artist needs to produce certain work during a certain period. If you cannot produce work during a specific phase， you can never again even after this period is over.”

Although the drop in creation bothers Xu somewhat， he believes his role as vice president of CAFA helps him understand and become immersed in Chinas present reality， and see deeper into the countrys rapid development and change.