Art imitating life, and vice versa

Hang Chunxiao, a well-known curator who helped plan Zhou Jie's exhibition 36 Days, spends a lot of time explaining to visitors why the artist is wearing clothes, and why she doesn't always lie on a wire bed.

Zhou and her exhibition attracted widespread attention after photos of her lying naked on a partially completed wire bed appeared on the Internet, leading to unfounded rumors that she would lie in the nude for the full 36 days, and resulting in skepticism about her motives.

"We never said Zhou would lie naked on the bed for 36 days. I don't know how the rumors started," Hang says. "I was worried Zhou would collapse under the pressure, but she is strong enough to bear the pressure, and her family is very supportive."