UCCA Beijing

Introspective Cavity

2008.7.17 - 2009.9.7

About

Location:  Central Gallery

Female Chinese artist Yin Xiuzhen’s installation, Introspective Cavity, is a total interactive experience. Take off your shoes and climb inside this tent-like structure, recline on the soft pink cushions, and listen to the sound of gently bubbling water.

As a new commission of the Ullens Foundation collection accompanying the Our Future exhibition, Introspective Cavity is designed to create a soothing experience that encourages one to take a break from Beijing’s hectic urban environment. “When people are rushing around like robots, they often forget about themselves,” says Yin Xiuzhen. “We all need to stop and take a rest.”

For Yin Xiuzhen, Introspective Cavity is meant to trigger recollections of being in the womb. “I want to allow people to return to that state,” she says. “Humans come from the mother’s womb. It is easy for people to lose their sense of self, become disoriented and not know what the self needs.” UCCA curator David Spalding describes Introspective Cavity as a place where “one is invited to look inward, toward one’s own memories, fantasies and aspirations.”

Introspective Cavity is the latest in an ongoing body of work by Yin Xiuzhen that transforms used clothing into interactive art. Yin Xiuzhen’s Portable Cities series is also part of the Our Future exhibition and is an example of her utilization of used clothing. Her work I Can’t Promise in Future—part of the ongoing UCCA Super Fengshui installation series—is located in the Lobby.

Beijing-born Yin Xiuzhen (1963) is one of the leading female avant-garde artists working in China today. She has exhibited widely around the world, most recently with solo exhibitions at The Moritzhof and the Gallery Weltecho in Chemnitz, Germany and REDCAT in Los Angeles. She has recently had residencies and scholarships from institutions such as Kuenstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral Bad Ems, in Germany and UNESCO/Aschberg.

Installation Views

Installation Views

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