As an observer of many cultures, the internet has become a rich source material for Xu Zhen. The internet, a place where everyone is talking and no one is listening,...
As an observer of many cultures, the internet has become a rich source material for Xu Zhen. The internet, a place where everyone is talking and no one is listening, provides opportunities for collision and unexpected inspiration. In the "Metal Language" works, Xu Zhen pulls phrases from the internet and political cartoons and places them in direct dialogue with one another.
The choice of metal shackles reflects the ambiguity of history itself: it is a treasure and a burden. The “bling” of the chains along with the many exclamation marks evoke the chaos of a graffiti wall, where the many individual statements blend into one bigger picture.