The artwork depicts the word "DOCENT" in a stark, minimalist style, using a simple, sans-serif typeface against a plain white background. The muted, monochromatic color palette and the bold, graphic presentation create a sense of clarity and directness. The artwork's minimal design and emphasis on the text suggest an exploration of language, meaning, and the role of the docent or guide in the context of art appreciation. The simplicity of the composition and the power of the single word convey a conceptual approach, inviting the viewer to reflect on the nature of art and the interpretive function of the docent. ...
The artist and activist aaajiao—the online handle of Xu Wenkai—draws on a broad range of languages including sculpture, painting, drawing, multimedia installation, video, sound and design to explore the evolution of the human identity being assimilated by the digital world. Focusing on the experience of the new generation—the native inhabitant of the parallel worlds and saturated realities of the net—aaajiao’s work is a critical investigation into the countless possibilities offered by the digital and the numerous questions raised by this hyper-technologisation.
Being the first Chinese artist invited for a solo show at Turin Castello di Rivoli in 2020, aaajiao’s works have been featured in numerous museums worldwide, including, ICA-Institute of Contemporary Arts (Boston), HKW | Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin), HEK | Haus der Elektronischen Kuenste (Basel), How Museum (Shanghai), Turin Castello di Rivoli (Turin), UCCA Center for contemporary Art (Beijing), Yuz Museum (Shanghai), ZKM | Zentrum fuer Kunst und Medientechnologie (Karlsruhe), among others. aaajiao is the artist-in-residence at the Delfina Foundation (London) in 2019, the winner of the Art Sanya Awards 2014 Jury Prize and a nominee for the first edition of OCAT - Pierre Huber Art Prize in 2014. ...
Tabula Rasa Gallery is based in Beijing's 798 art district. Established in 2015, it aims to promote both Chinese and international contemporary artists through exhibitions, talks, research and publication. The gallery name is Latin for 'blank state'. In philosophical discourse, it refers to the idea that our knowledge comes from our experiences and education, all participants are born in a Tabula Rasa state. Tabula Rasa hopes that the exhibitions they present can subvert viewers’ preconceptions, creating conditions for fresh artistic experiments. ...
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