Danwen Xing: Captive of Love

Red Brick Art Museum is proud to present Danwen Xing’s first substantial solo show in China to date, showcasing photography, installation, and video pieces, as well as new productions exhibited for the first time.

The title of the exhibition is the English translation of Un captif amoureux, the title of the last book by French writer Jean Genet. The book describes his experience of living among Palestinian revolutionaries and Black Panther activists “in [his] own chosen order” and unique narrative style, creating an exceptionally poetic and insightful text.

The exhibition recalls several threads from Jean Genet’s book, which provide a prism for a special reading of Xing’s artistic practice; in every image she creates, Xing reconstructs reality, as if driven by a compulsive desire to be at the center of the incident, approaching her characters with a marked sensuality. Xing positions herself inside the event, as a subject, a model, or a critical eye, creating a visual language that is both subversive and poetic.

The exhibition Captive of Love stages a linear but non-chronological presentation of Danwen Xing’s artworks, focused on her relationship to the city, as well as a personal narrative of her own generation of artists in China in the 1990s.

As part of the exhibition, the full-color bilingual catalogue Captive of Love and the artist book A Personal Diary will be co-published with Prestel. A series of talks and conversations will be organized on September 9-10 featuring artist Danwen Xing, Board Chair of Asia Art Archive Jane DeBevoise, senior curator of M+ museum Li Pi, prize-winning writers Ahdaf Soueif and Koonchung Chan.

Red Brick Art Museum
Red Brick Art Museum was founded by the entrepreneurs and collectors Shijie Yan and Mei Cao, officially opening its doors in 2014. The architectural design of Red Brick Art Museum was inspired by traditional Chinese gardens. Red Brick Art Museum promotes the development of Chinese contemporary art and creates an international platform for dialogue and exchange with international contemporary artists.

Danwen Xing
Danwen Xing was born in Xi’an and currently lives and works in Beijing. She has received degrees from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and the School of Visual Arts in New York. Xing has participated in numerous exhibitions at major museums and biennials worldwide. Xing’s artistic practice is well-regarded by international critics and institutions, and her work has been acquired by museums and private collections around the world.  

Tarek Abou El Fetouh
Tarek Abou El Fetouh is an independent curator born in Cairo who currently lives and works in Brussels. His curatorial projects include the Sharjah Biennale 9 in Sharjah in 2009, Home Works 6 in Beirut in 2013, Lest the Two Seas Meet at the Museum of Modern Arts in Warsaw in 2015, and The Time is Out of Joint in Sharjah and Gwangju in 2016.

Media enquiries:
pr@redbrickartmuseum.org