{"product_id":"xu-bing-word-alchemy-9798218492694","title":"Xu Bing: Word Alchemy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDistributed by University Press of Florida on behalf of Asia Society Texas\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn\u003cbr\u003e in China and now working in both Brooklyn and Beijing, artist Xu Bing \u003cbr\u003eis widely considered to be one of the most important artists to emerge \u003cbr\u003efrom China in the 20th century. Focusing on the artist's longstanding \u003cbr\u003eengagement with words and language, \u003cem\u003eWord Alchemy\u003c\/em\u003e was the most \u003cbr\u003ecomprehensive exhibition on this theme so far, and approximately \u003cbr\u003eone-third of the objects in the exhibition are being shown in the U.S. \u003cbr\u003efor the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublished on the occasion of this landmark \u003cbr\u003eexhibition at Asia Society Texas, this catalogue assembles more than 50 \u003cbr\u003eof Xu Bing's most important woodcut prints, videos, drawings, \u003cbr\u003einstallations, and other ephemera representing almost 50 years of the \u003cbr\u003eartist's creative output. Starting with Xu's early engagements with \u003cbr\u003esocial realism and Western art historical traditions alike, the \u003cbr\u003eexhibition charts the evolution of the artist's linguistic experiments \u003cbr\u003ethat challenge and expand not only the history of Chinese landscape \u003cbr\u003epainting, but the canons of contemporary art.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHighlights of the \u003cbr\u003ebook include a new essay by Xu Bing, an interview between the artist and\u003cbr\u003e curator Susan L. Beningson, as well as several newly commissioned \u003cbr\u003eessays by the field's leading scholars and curators. The volume features\u003cbr\u003e vivid reproductions of Xu Bing's early works, never-before-exhibited \u003cbr\u003enotebooks, landmark prints including the \u003cem\u003eSeries of Repetitions\u003c\/em\u003e handscroll, a new \u003cem\u003eBackground Story\u003c\/em\u003e with a connection to Zhao Mengfu's famous \u003cem\u003eAutumn Colors on the Qiao\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eand Hua Mountains\u003c\/em\u003e handscroll, a new Texas-themed \u003cem\u003eSquare Word Calligraphy\u003c\/em\u003e, and a new installation of \u003cem\u003eMonkeys Grasp for the Moon\u003c\/em\u003e in Asia Society Texas' Fayez Sarofim Grand Hall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOwen Duffy\u003c\/strong\u003e is Nancy C. Allen Curator and Director of Exhibitions at Asia Society Texas. \u003cstrong\u003eSusan Beningson\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e is an independent curator based in New York City. From 2013 through \u003cbr\u003e2019, she served as curator of Asian Art at the Brooklyn Museum.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Asia Society Texas","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52057772359954,"sku":"9798218492694","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_1fc584f1-5d04-42fd-9f8d-818a5271e218.jpg?v=1772006365","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/xu-bing-word-alchemy-9798218492694","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}