Vital art

Swiss artist Not Vital displays his latest sculptures, made in China since 2008, from materials ranging from plaster to painted stainless steel and bronze, at his solo exhibition Not Why.

Leading a quasi-nomadic life among his studios in Niger, Chile, the United States, his hometown in Switzerland, and now Beijing, Vital explores the spatial, economic and cultural contexts of his various places of residence and activity.

The exhibits of Not Why are all based on his experiences in China, and reflect a sound knowledge of local cultures and narrative traditions. For instance, Beijing Duck in Gold emulates the famous Beijing delicacy while its golden surface alludes to the economic upheavals triggered by China's forays into a market economy. Model for a Station in Ouagadougou, West Africa shows Vital's understanding of art as a concrete set of instructions to solve social problems. It is derived from a prototype of a bus stop with natural air conditioning he designed for the hot, humid and poor cities in West Africa.