Artist has say on how we can live together

In the shadow of the pandemic, a Beijing artist explores the state of society through his artwork.

In a new exhibition Nudita at the White Cube gallery in London, Liu Wei expands on his recent solo exhibition at the Long Museum in Shanghai, responding to the global emergency triggered by the pandemic.

The collection is based on the question: "Given the current condition of the world, what possibilities might exist for human beings to live together as a collective body?"

"This exhibition, which was conceived and produced during the pandemic, is Liu Wei's largest in Europe to date and notably ambitious in scale and concept," said Susan May, global artistic director at White Cube.

"Throughout his career, he has addressed the rapidly changing social and architectural landscape of China, as well as wider global issues, and recent events have inspired him to look at broader questions around the human condition, as well as the relationship between reality and perception."

Highlights of the exhibition include Allegory, which evokes civic ruins, in which columns, pedestals, roadblocks as well as pedestrian islands are assembled together, and populated by animals such as a giant tortoise, a cat, a snake, a fox and an owl.

Exploring social forms

Vanguard is set within a curved atrium made of metal mesh, and it draws on the ideas of collectivism as rooted in communism. It refers to early 20th century modernism, when the quest for "a new world "came to the fore.

"What interests me most is the exploration of social forms, modes of governance, and the possibilities of living together," said Liu about Vanguard. "This, it seems to me, has again become an urgent inquiry: is it possible for us to refresh our understanding and application of the meaning of collectiveness, thereby to rethink how to live together in today's situation?"

Liu's Speculation explores hybrid visual and cognitive language. The sculpture is composed of a metal sphere and protracted oval forms lodged within a hollowed structure, reminiscent of cave formations or enlarged bones.

The exhibition, which runs until Sept 5 at White Cube Bermondsey, also features Liu's ongoing series of paintings that reflect change brought about by rapid urbanization, increasing globalization and emerging digital technologies.