Born in 1977 in Shanghai, China
Lives and works in Shanghai, China

XU ZHEN®

 
XU ZHEN®’s provocative aesthetics relies on both conceptual and pop strategies. He first undertook behavioral and cultural experiments as an autonomous artist via controversial performances and videos. Ironically mirroring post-Mao China’s journey into consumerism, he has since transformed himself into a brand with the creation in 2009 of his art corporation MadeIn Company. The works “produced by MadeIn Company” in his name mainly consist of sculptures, paintings and installations. They represent, often monumentally, incongruous clashes between iconographies pertaining to distant cultures, civilizations, and ages. From the improbable encounter between Japanese bondage and voodoo fetishes, to Buddha statues forcing themselves into duplicates of Greco-Roman gods, the collision between cultural symbols allows him to subtly touch upon the various power struggles of human history. Embodying the truly violent nature of cultural hybridization, XU ZHEN®’s composite art further questions the loss of meaning and context induced by the precipitation of globalization in the digital era.

 

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education

2001-2010
- Art director of BizArt Art Center

2009
- Establishes MadeIn Company

2006
- Initiated together with other artists Art-Ba-Ba Contemporary Art Forum

1996
- Graduated from Shanghai Arts & Crafts Institute

XU ZHEN®
Founded by artist Xu Zhen in 2013, XU ZHEN® is the flagship art brand of MadeIn Company, a contemporary art creation corporate devoted to cutting-edge creative production and research on contemporary culture’s infinite possibilities. XU ZHEN® is one such initiative to offer spiritual aspirations and life experiences of the finest quality through the appreciation and collection of artworks and events produced by the brand.

solo shows

2021
“Three Taels of Cuteness, One Catty of Greatness", MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai, China

2019
“The Glorious”, Perrotin, Hong Kong SAR, China

2018
"Physique of Consciousness", Buero, Basel, Switzerland
"Alien", Xu Zhen solo exhibition, ShanghArt Gallery, Shanghai, China
"XU ZHEN®", Galerie Perrotin, Seoul, Korea
"Movement Field: Xu Zhen Solo Exhibition", James Cohan Gallery, New York, USA

2017
"XUZHEN Supermarket (2007/2017)", curated by Victor Wang, Sadies Cole HQ, London, UK
"Civilization Iteration", Perrotin, Paris, France

2016
"Xu Zhen Store", MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai, China
"Xu Zhen Solo Exhibition", James Cohan Gallery, New York, USA
"From Dada to Pop: Xu Zhen and MadeIn Company", CAEA, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongqing, China

2015
“Corporate”, Kunsthaus Graz, Graz, Austria
“In the Light of 25 Years”, Witte de With, Rotterdam, Netherlands
“Xu Zhen Solo Exhibition”, Long Museum, Shanghai, China
“Twenty”, PMQ, Hong Kong
“Movement Field”, Waldburger Wouters, Brussels, Belgium


2014
“Blissful As Gods”, Xu Zhen-Produced by MadeIn Company, Space 1&2, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
“Careful Don’t Get Dirty”, Waldburger Wouters, Brussels, Belgium
“Prey”, Xu Zhen-Produced by MadeIn Company, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris,France
"Xu Zhen-Produced by MadeIn Company", ShanghART Singapore, Singapore
“Xu Zhen: A MadeIn Company Production”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China


2013
“The Most Important Thing Is Not the Contract”, Produced by MadeIn Company, OCT, Shanghai, China
“Turbulent”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Bund 18 Temporary Space, Shanghai, China
“Movement Field”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Long March Space, Beijing, China
“Offsite:MadeIn Company”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada


2012
“MadeIn Company”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
“Movement – MadeIn Company Fall 2012 Works Launch”, Produced by MadeIn Company, MadeIn Company Exhibition Space, Shanghai, China
“Turbulent”, Produced by MadeIn Company, MadeIn Company Exhibition Space, Shanghai, China
“Xu Zhen: Forbidden Castle”, Montanelli Museum, Prague, Czech Republic
“Sleeping Life Away”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris, France
“The Last Few Mosquitos, WHERE?”, Vancouver, Canada


2011
“Action of Consciousness”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Gallery; ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
“Physique of Consciousness”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Long March Space, Beijing, China
“Physique of Consciousness”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Kunsthalle Bern, Bern, Switzerland


2010
“Don’t Hang Your Faith on The Wall”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Long March Space, Beijing, China
“Seeing One's Own Eyes”, Produced by MadeIn Company, IKON Gallery, Birmingham, U.K.
“There are new species! What do you suppose they are called?”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Fabien Fryns Fine Art, Los Angeles, U.S.A.
“Spread - by MadeIn”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Beijing, Beijing, China


2009
“Spread—New Exhibition Produced by MadeIn”, ShanghART at Huaihai Rd 796, Shanghai, China
“MadeIn -- Seeing One's Own Eyes, Europalia. China”, Produced by MadeIn Company, S.M.A.K., Ghent, Belgium
“Lonely Miracle: Middle East Contemporary Art”, Produced by MadeIn Company, James Cohan Gallery, New York, U.S.A.
“Seeing One's Own Eyes—Middle East Contemporary Art Exhibition”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Gallery; ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
“The Last Few Mosquitos”, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, U.K.
ARCO Madrid 2009 - 28th International Contemporary Art Fair, Madrid, Spain
“The Starving of Sudan”, Art Unlimited, presented by Long March Space at Art 41 Basel, Basel, Switzerland


2008
“Impossible Is Nothing”, Long March Space, Beijing, China
“Xu Zhen, Folkert de Jong, and Martha Colburn, Xu Zhen ShanghART Supermarket”, James Cohan Gallery, New York, U.S.A.
“Just did It!”, James Cohan Gallery, New York, U.S.A.
“Untitled”, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China


2007
“Art Basel Miami Beach 07, Xu Zhen: ShanghART Supermarket”, Art Fair Booth N14, Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami, U.S.A.
“Art 38 Basel, Art Unlimited, Xu Zhen 18 Days”, Art Fair Booth B3, Basel, Switzerland


2006
“8848 - 1.86”, ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
“8848 - 1.86”, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands
“An Animal”, 2577 Longhua Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China


2002
“Careful, Don't Get Dirty”, Galerie Waldburger, Berlin, Germany
“A Young Man”, Bizart, Shanghai, China

group shows

2021
"M+ Sigg Collection: From Revolution to Globalisation", M+ Museum, Hong Kong
"Time and Space", Yangyun Aman, Shanghai
"Red", The Tank, Shanghai
"City on the Edge: Art and Shanghai at the Turn of the Millennium", UCCA Edge, Shanghai
"The Circular Impact: Video Art 21", OCAT, Shanghai


2020
"The Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China 2019", Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai; Pingshan Art Museum, Shenzhen
"Duration: Chinese Art in Transformation", Beijing Mingsheng Art Museum, Beijing
"Shanghai Waves: Historical Archives and Works of Shanghai Biennale", Power Station of Art, Shanghai
"Co-constructing", Suzhou Jinji Lake Art Museum, Suzhou
"Embodied Mirror: Performances in Chinese Video Art", New Century Art Foundation, Beijing
"Being of Evils", Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing


2019
"A Turning Moment", Urban Narratives in Chinese Contemporary Art, 1995-2019, Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai
"Free Prism—Video Wave", Boxes Art Museum, Foshan
"Then", White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale, Australia
"HOMELAND", Ordet, Milan, Italy
"5th Collectors’ Contemporary Collaboration", Pao Galleries, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
"Hic Sunt Leones", Surplus Space, Wuhan


2018
"Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World", Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain
"As A Reason for December 12th", Hangzhou


2017
"Re-assessment of Post-Globalisational Politics", OCAT, Shanghai
"Landmark", Guardian Art Centre, Beijing


2017
"NGV Triennial", National Museum of Victoria, Australia
"Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World", Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, U.S.A.
"Chinese Summer", Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo, Norway
"Energy Field - Transmedia ART Exhibition", Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai


2016
“Holzwege", ShanghART Gallery (West Bund), Shanghai, China
"Another Wave", The 1st Daojiao New New Art Festival, Dongguan, China
"Why the Performance?”, Ming Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai, China
"Information Sculpture Superhighway", MadeIn Gallery, Shanghai, China
“Studio", Qiao Space, Shanghai, China
"Turning Point: Contemporary Art in China since 2000", Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
“The Uncertain, or the Shelved…”, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
“Ensemble Without Organs”, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana, Cuba
“A Beautiful Disorder”, Cass Sculpture Foundation, Chichester, U.K.
“Time Test: International Video Art Research Exhibition”, CAFA Art Museum, Beijing, China
Art Night - Xu Zhen’s “Physique of Consciousness”, Somerset House, London, U.K.
“An Exhibition about Exhibitions”, OCAT Institute, Beijing, China
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia
“The Crocodile in the Pond”, Museum Art St. Urban and Abbey St. Urban, Lucerne, Switzerland
“New Capital: Huang Yu Collection Exhibition”, Museum of Contemporary, Chengdu, China
“Unsettling Green: Focusing on a Color”, MARTa Herford, Herford, Germany
“Tutorial: Moving Images and A User’s Guide from China”, Pino Pascali Museum Foundation, Polignano a Mare, Italy
Sydney Biennial, Various locations (Cockatoo Island), Sydney, Australia
“What About Art?”, Al Riwaq Art Centre, Doha, Qatar
“Chinese Whispers: Recent Art From the Sigg & M+ Sigg Collections”, Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
“Bentu: Chinese artists in a time of turbulence and transformation”, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, France


2015
“Scenario of Time: The 4th Art Sanya Festival”, Sanya, China
“Plastic Myths”, Asian Culture Complex Creation Space, Gwangju, South Korea
“15 Rooms”, Long Museum, Shanghai, China
The Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, VDNKh, Moscow, Russia
“Stereognosis Zone”, Redtory Museum of Contemporary Art, Guangzhou, China
“Jing Shen - The Act of Painting in Contemporary China”, Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, Milan, Italy
“China 8”, Kunstmuseum Mülheim an der Ruhr, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
“Don’t Shoot the Painter”, UBS Art Collection, Villa Reale’s Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Milan, Italy
“Ding Yi & Xu Zhen - Hidden Behind Appearances”, Waldburger Wouters, Brussels, Belgium
“From a Poem to the Sunset”, First part of an exhibition series with new acquisitions of contemporary Chinese and international art, Daimler Contemporary Berlin, Berlin, Germany
“The System of Objects”, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
"The BANK Show: Vive Le Capital”, Shanghai, China
“The Subtle Triangle”, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea


2014
“Unlimited Sector”, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland
“14 Rooms”, Hall 3, Messe Basel, Basel, Switzerland
“In and Out Réel ShanghART Contemporary Art”, Réel, Shanghai, China
“Fusion & Convergence”, Tian Ren He Yi Art Center Gallery, Hangzhou, China
“Myth/History: Yuz Collection of Contemporary Art”, Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China
“PANDAMONIUM: Media Art from Shanghai”, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin, Germany
“Re-View”, Opening Exhibition of Long Museum West Bund, Long Museum, Shanghai, China
“Do it Moscow”, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia
“15 Years Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)”, Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China
“The Invisible Hand: Curating as Gesture”, The 2nd CAFAM Biennale, Art Museum of China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
“Room Service”, Staaliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden, Germany
“The Armory Show – Focus China (commissioned artist)”, Produced by MadeIn
Company, New York, U.S.A.
“5 Plus”, ShanghART Beijing, Beijing, China
“Factory”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Art, Kaohsiung, Taiwan


2013
“28 Chinese”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Rubell Family Collection / Contemporary Arts Foundation, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
“The Garden of Diversion”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Sifang Art Museum, Nanjing, China
12th Biennale de Lyon, Produced by MadeIn Company, Lyon, France
“Clutch”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghArt Gallery, Shanghai, China
“China China”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Pinchuk Art Center, Kiev, Ukraine
“Re-Reading”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Singapore, Singapore
“Moving on Asia: Towards a New Art Network 2004-2013”, Produced by MadeIn Company, City Gallery Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
“13 Rooms”, Kaldor Public Art Projects, Walsh Bay, Sydney, Australia
“Pessimism or Resistance?”, Taikang Space, Beijing, China
7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Produced by MadeIn Company, Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia
“Shanghai Surprise: A Group Show on Contemporary Art in Shanghai”, K11 Art Mall, Shanghai, China
“Green Box”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Tianhong Mei Heyuan Arts Center, Hangzhou, China


2012
“The Unseen”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Guangzhou Triennial, Guangzhou,
China
“Omen - New Chinese Art”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
“What is it about the end of the world that makes it so appealing?”, Produced by MadeIn Company, V-ART CENTER, Shanghai, China
“The Discreet Charm of the bourgeoisie: Contemporary Visions on China”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Yi&C Contemporary Art & Artrans Fine Art Storage, Taipei, Taiwan
“How to Eclipse the Light”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Wilkinson Gallery, London, U.K.
“Omen 2012 - New Chinese Art”, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
“Surplus Authors”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Witte de With, Rotterdam, Netherlands
“NEWTOPIA: The State of Human Rights”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Cultuurcentrum Mechelen, Mechelen, Belgium
The 7th Triennial of Contemporary Art, Produced by MadeIn Company, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
“Distance Produces Beauty”, A Display Co-curated and Created by GUEST, TOF and MadeIn Company, ShanghART Beijing, Beijing, China
“Art of Change: New Directions from China”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Hayward Gallery, London, U.K.
“EDIT: Image Fetish and Phobia”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
ShanghART Group Exhibition, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
“Uninkable”, Produced by MadeIn Company, TOP Contemporary Art Center, Shanghai, China
“ShanghART Group Exhibition in Summer”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
“SOUNWORKS”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ICA, London, U.K.
“12 Rooms”, Ruhrtriennale, Museum Folkwang, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
“MOVE: Art and Dance since 1960s”, Produced by MadeIn Company, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
“The First Kiev International Biennale of Contemporary Art: Arsenale 2012; The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Rebirth and Apocalypse in Contemporary Art”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Mystetskyi Arsenal, Kiev, Ukraine
“48 SHEET”, Produced by MadeIn Company, EC Arts, Birmingham, U.K.
“Inside the White Cube - MadeIn Company and Liu Wei”, Produced by MadeIn Company, North Gallery, White Cube, London, U.K.
“TransMedia Art & Fashion Exhibition”, Shanghai Sculpture Space, Shanghai, China
“Revitalizing, An Exhibition upon Awakening of Insects”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
ShanghART Group Exhibition, Produced by MadeIn Company, Shanghai, China


2011
ShanghART Winter Group Exhibition, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
“Never forget the image struggle”, Produced by MadeIn Company, TOP Contemporary Art Center, Shanghai, China
“Alternative Narrative”, Produced by MadeIn Company, V Art Center, Shanghai, China
“Rijksakademie LIVE #4”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Amsterdam, Netherlands
“Growing Up - Exhibition celebrating SWFC 3rd Anniversary & ShanghART Gallery”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China
“Alfred Dunhill ‘Homework’ Art Exhibition”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Shanghai, China
“Moving Image In China: 1988-2011”, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
ShanghART Autumn Group Exhibition, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART
Gallery, Shanghai, China
“LIVING AS FORM, Creative Time”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Long March Space, New York, U.S.A.
“Moving Image in China:1988-2011”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
“11 Rooms”, Manchester International Festival, Manchester City Galleries, Manchester, U.K.
“dAfT”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Shanghai Gallery of Art, Three on the Bund, Shanghai, China
N Minutes Video Art Festival, Produced by MadeIn Company, March Space, Shanghai, China
“Day Break”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
Contemporary Art Exhibition Documentation Project II: "Let's Talk about Money--1st International Fax Art Exhibition in Shanghai 1996", ShanghART Taopu, Shanghai, China
Poster Exhibition, Produced by MadeIn Company, TOP Events, Shanghai, China
“Taikang 15th Anniversary Collection Exhibition”, Produced by MadeIn Company, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
“Action”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Long March Space, Beijing, China
“Move on Asia, the End of Video Art”, Casa Asia, Barcelona, Spain
“Eye See You As I See You - MadeIn Company & Etalier Des Chene”, Produced by MadeIn Company, CIGE, Beijing, China
ShanghART Gallery Autumn Group Show, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
Spring Group Exhibition in Long March Space, Produced by MadeIn Company, Long March Space, Beijing, China
“A Pile of Passion”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
“Community of Tastes: Chinese Contemporary Art Since 2000”, MAC USP, São Paulo, Brazil
“How we to do?”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Heng Lu Art Museum, China


2010
“One by one -- ShanghART Group Show”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
“ShanghART Taopu”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Taopu (Warehouse), Shanghai, China
“Rehearsal: 8th Shanghai Biennale 2010”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, China
“Useful Life 2010”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
“21st Century: Art in the First Decade”, Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia
ShanghART Group Show, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
“Thirty Years of Chinese Contemporary Art”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
“Personal Frontier”, Produced by MadeIn Company, IA32 Space (Next to Today Art Museum) , Beijing, China
“Big Draft-Shanghai”, Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
“Jungle: A Close-Up Focus on Chinese Contemporary Art Trends”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Platform China, Beijing, China
“China Power Station: Part IV”, Pinacoteca Agnelli, Torino, Italy
“Winter Group Show”, Produced by MadeIn Company, ShanghART Beijing, Beijing,
China
“DIAL 62761232, A Document On A Contemporary Art Event”, ShanghART Taopu, Shanghai, China
“Great Performances”, Pace Beijing, Beijing, China
“Community of Tastes: Chinese Contemporary Art Since 2000”, Museo de Arte
Contemporaneo (MAC), Santiago, Chile
“Culture of Shanghai, The Artists Concerned by HWAS”, HAWS Gallery, Shanghai, China


2009
“Breaking Forecast - 8 Key Figures of China's New Generation Artists”, UCCA, Beijing, China
“Footloose”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Galerie Waldburger, Brussels, Belgium
“The New Attitude of image”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Tang Contemporary Art Center, Beijing, China
“Bourgeoisified Proletariat - Contemporary Art Exhibition at Songjiang”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Shanghai Songjiang Creative Studio, Shanghai, China
“Reversed Images: Representations of Shanghai and Its Contemporary Material Culture”, Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College, Chicago, U.S.A.
“COLLECTION XXIV: Europalia. China”, Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst, Antwerpen, Belgium
“Bourgeoisified Proletariat - Contemporary Art Exhibition at Songjiang”, Shanghai Songjiang Creative Studio, Shanghai, China
“Shanghai History in Making from 1979 till 2009”, 436 Jumen Road, Shanghai, China
Art Taipei 2009, Taipei World Trade Center Hall I, Taipei, Taiwan
“Warm Up”, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
“The Conspiracy”, Kunsthalle Bern, Bern, Switzerland
“Retrospect and Exploration”, Hubei Provincial Art Museum, Hubei, China
“Metamorphosis”, ShanghART at Huaihai Road 796, Shanghai, China
“MUTE”, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China
Art 40 Basel, Basel, Switzerland
“Shanghai Kino-Shanghai Kino”, Kunsthalle Bern, Bern, Switzerland
“Blackboard”, ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
“ShanghART Group Show at ‘796 Huaihai Lu’”, ShanghART at Huaihai Road 796, Shanghai, China
“The China Project — Three Decades: The Contemporary Chinese Collection”, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
“Matters of Faith”, James Cohan Gallery, Shanghai, China
“Mahjong: Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection-Mahjong: Contemporary Chinese Art from”, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
“Another scene-artists' projects, concepts and ideas”, ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
“Fact and Fiction - Recent works from The UBS Art Collection”, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China
“Impossible - 8 Chinese Artists Engage Absurdity”, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery & MISSION 17, San Francisco, U.S.A.
“Pin-An Extension Project of ShanghART Videotheque”, ShanghART Beijing, Beijing, China


2008
“Five Years of Duolun: Chinese Contemporary Art Retrospective Exhibition”, Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Duolun road No.27, Shanghai, China
“The 5th Small Productions Event”, Shopping Gallery, Shanghai, China
“Generations”, ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
Art Basel Miami Beach 08, Booth A4, Hall A, Miami, U.S.A.
“ARTissima - The Forgotten Bar Project”, Booth 17, Green Hall, Turin, Italy
FIAC 2008, Booth B12, Grand Palais, Paris, France
“Life? Biomorphic Forms in Sculpture”, Kunsthaus Graz, Graz, Austria
“Insomnia Photographs Exhibition”, Bizart Art Center, Shanghai, China
“Farewell to Post-Colonialism - The Third Guangzhou Triennial”, Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China
“Avant-Garde China: Twenty Years of Chinese Contemporary Art”, The National Art Center, Tokyo; The National Museum of Art, Osaka; Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Nagoya, Japan
“Our Future - The Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation Collection”, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China
“The World of Other's: A Contemporary Art Exhibition”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China
“CYLWXZ - CHU YUN, LIU WEI, XU ZHEN”, Esther Shipper, Berlin, Germany
“Mellow Fever”, Galerie des Galeries, Paris, France
“Community of Tastes - The Inaugural Exhibition of Iberia Center for Contemporary Art”, Iberia Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China
“Artseason - The Third China New Media Art Festival”, China Art Academy, Hangzhou, China
“Like Animals (Comme des betes)”, Muéee cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland
“Building Code Violations Ⅱ”, Long March Space, Beijing, China
“The Real Thing - Contemporary Art from China”, IVAM, Valencia, Spain
“Selected”, ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
“Videotheque”, ShanghART Shanghai, Beijing, China


2007
PERFORMA 07 - The Second Biennial of New Visual Art Performance, New York, U.S.A.
“China - Facing Reality”, Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation, Vienna, Austria
“Energy: Spirit • Body • Material”, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
Theme Exhibit. “Forms of Concepts: The Reform of Concepts of Chinese Contemporary Art 1987-2007-The New Generation and Bad Art”, 2007 Wuhan 2nd Documentary Exhibition of Fine Arts, Wuhan, China
“Tomorrow”, Kumho Museum of Art; Art Sonje Center, Seoul, South Korea
“Not only Possible, But also Necessary - Optimism in the Age of Global War”, 10th International Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey
“Artissima Cinema, Shanghype! - Portrait of the City from Dawn to Dusk”, Mirafiori Motor Village, Turin, Italy
“China Power Station: Part II”, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Norway
“Rejected Collection - More the 40 Chinese Artists /Over 60 Rejected Proposals”, Ke Center for Contemporary Arts, Shanghai, China
“China Welcomes You - Desires, Struggles, New Identities”, Kunsthaus Graz, Graz, Austria
“A l'horizon de Shangri-La”, FRAC Lorraine, Metz, France
“Individual Position 2 - Video, Photo, and Installation”, ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai, China
“Zhuyi! - Contemporary Chinese Photography”, Artium, Basque Museum-Centre of Contemporary Art, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Araba, Spain
“NONO: Self-curated Exhibition of latest artworks by 11 individual artists”, Long March Space, Beijing, China
“The Real Thing - Contemporary Art from China”, Tate Liverpool, Liverpool, U.K.


2006
“It's All Right-Contemporary Art Exhibition”, Hu Qing Tang Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, China
“Nunca salgo sin mi cámara / Never Go Out Without My DVcam, Video en china, Museo Colecciones ICO, Madrid, Spain
“Alllooksame/Tutttuguale?, Art from China, Japan and Korea”, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy
“The Thirteen: Chinese Video Now”, Platform China Contemporary Art Institute, Beijing, China
“China Contemporary - Architecture, Art and Visual Culture”, Netherlands Architecture Institute; Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen; Nederlands fotomuseum, Rotterdam, Netherlands
“Take It!”, Universal Studios, Beijing, China
“Solo Exhibition”, 2577 Creative Garden, Shanghai, China
“Microcosm - Chinese Contemporary Art”, Macao Museum of Art (Macao Culture Centre), Macao
“The Thirteen: Chinese Video Now”, PS1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, New York, U.S.A.
“Mahjong: Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection”, Kunsthalle Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
“Everyday people, Festival of Creativity”, Fortezza da Basso, Florence, Italy
“China Power Station: Part I”, Battersea Power Station, London, U.K.
“On Mobility”, De Appel, Amsterdam, Netherlands
“Restless - Photography and New Media”, MoCA, Shanghai, China


2005
The Second Guangzhou Triennial Self Organisation, BizArt: How to Turn Guangzhou into Shanghai, Xinyi International Club, Guangzhou, China
“BEYOND: An Extraordinary Space of Experimentation for Modernization”, The Second Guangzhou Triennial, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China
“Zooming into Focus (NAMOC) - Contemporary Chinese Photography and Video from the Haudenschild Collection”, National Art Museum Of China, Beijing, China
“Something is Happening!”, Maple-poplar Woods - In Orioles Singing in the Willows Park, Hangzhou, China
“Regeneration: Contemporary Chinese Art from China and the US”, Samek Art Gallery, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, U.S.A.
“Regeneration: Contemporary Chinese Art From China and the US”, Jean Paul Slusser Gallery, Ann Arbor, U.S.A.
“True to Life”, Taikang Top Space, Beijing, China
“Mahjong - Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection”, Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
51st International Art Exhibition Venice Biennale - China Pavilion, Venice, Italy
“Shanghai Constructions - Group exhibition by 10 Artists , Shanghai Gallery of Art, Shanghai, China
Melbourne International Arts Festival, Spacement, Watson Place, Melbourne, Australia
“Archaeology of the Future”, The Second Triennial of Chinese Art, Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, China
Yokohama International Triennale of Contemporary Art 2005, Yokohama, Japan
“Videozoom: Chinese Video Artists, The City: Mirage and Reflection”, Galeria Sala 1, Centro Internazionale d'Arte Contemporanea, Rome, Italy
“Monuments of the USA”, Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco, U.S.A.
“Follow Me! - Contemporary Chinese Art at the Threshold of the Millennium”, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan


2004
“Techniques of the Visible”, 5th Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
“Dial 62761232 - Contemporary Art Exhibition”, BizArt, Shanghai, China
“Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from China”, ICP and Asia Society, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art and the Smart Museum of Art, Chicago; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle; Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, U.S.A.; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, U.K.; Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany
“Light as Fuck! - Shanghai Assemblage 2000-2004”, The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo, Norway
“Shanghai Surprise, Lothringer Str 13 – St?”, dtische Kunsthalle München, Munich, Germany
“Zooming into Focus (SAM) - Chinese Contemporary Photography and Video from the Haudenschild Collection”, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
“China Now”, Museum of Modern Art, New York, U.S.A.
“Chine: génération video”, MEP - Maison Européene de la Photographie, Paris, France
“The Monk and The Demon - Art contemporain chinois”, Musee Art Contemporain Lyon, Lyon, France
“Shanghai Duolun Exhibition of Young Artists”, Shanghai Duolun Art Museum, Shanghai, China
“A I'Ouest du Sud de l'Est, L'annee de la Chine”, CRAC Centre Regional d'Art Contemporain Languedoc-Roussillon, Sete, France
“Beyond Boundaries”, Shanghai Gallery of Art , Shanghai, China
“Is It Art? - Black Show”, Noanoa Center, Xi'an, China
“Zooming into Focus - Chinese Contemporary Photography and Video from the Haudenschild Collection”, Earl Lu Gallery, LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts, Singapore
“Zooming into Focus - Chinese Contemporary Photography from the Haudenschild Collection”, Cultural Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico


2003
“Open Sky - Grand Opening of Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art”, Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China
“Fabricated Paradises - Chinese Contemporary Art”, Le Parvis centre d'art contemporain, Pau, France
“Second Hand Reality”, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
“The Minority is Subordinate to the Majority”, BizArt, Shanghai, China
“Control-Z”, Top Space, Beijing, China
“Dajia - Studying on Design from Contemporary Art”, The Museum of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
“+System, Short videos from the world 2002-2003”, BizArt, Shanghai, China
“Department - Contemporary Art Exhibition”, Hangzhou, China
“The Fifth System: Public Art in the Age of Post-Planning”, He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
“Zooming into Focus - Chinese Contemporary Photography from the Haudenschild Collection”, University Gallery of San Diego State University, San Diego, U.S.A.
“Nasty - A group Exhibition of Paintings”, BizArt, Shanghai, China


2002
“Reinterpretation: A Decade of Experimental Chinese Art (1990subtle2000)”, The First Guangzhou Trienniale, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China
“Quick Look! - Shanghai Zhejiang Jiangsu Anhui Contemporary Art Exhibition”, Consulate General of Switzerland, Shanghai, China
“Too Much Flavor Mirage - Contemporary Art Exhibition”, 3H Art Center, Shanghai, China
“Art in General - 4th Annual Video Marathon, 12 hour screening”, New York, U.S.A.
“VideoROM 2.0”, Giancarla Zanutti Gallery, Milan, Italy
“VideoROM, Le Toit du Monde”, Centre Multidisciplinaire Pour la Culture Actuelle, Vevey. Switzerland
“24:30 Contemporary Art Exhibition”, BizArt, Shanghai, China
“Fan Mingzhen & Fan Mingzhu - Glad to Meet You (Twin exhibition)”, Jin Sha Jiang
Road, Shanghai, China
“Mirage”, Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China


2001
“Living in Time - 29 Contemporary Artists from China”, Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin, Germany
“Plateau of Humankind”, 49th International Art Exhibition Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
“Inside the body”, ISE foundation, New York, U.S.A.
“Hotpot”, Kinesisk Samtidskunst, Hustnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway
The First Valencia Biennale, Valencia, Spain
“Mantic Ecstasy - Photography & Video”, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, China
“Developing Time / Temps de Pause”, BizArt, Shanghai, China


2000
“Inertia & Mask - Works on Paper”, Shanghai Oil Painting & Sculpture Institute, Shanghai, China
“Exit”, Chisenhale Gallery, London, U.K.
“BIG Torino 2000”, Torino, Italy
“Video-Circle”, Hong Kong; Berlin, Germany
“Useful Life”, Temporary Space, Dong Daming Road, Shanghai, China
“Uncooperative Approach (Fuck Off)”, Eastlink Gallery, Shanghai, China


1999
“Food for Thought: An Insight in Chinese Contemporary Art”, Canvas world Art/Canvas Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands
“Exchange”, Paris, France
“Love - Chinese Contemporary Photography & Video: International Arts Festival”, Tachikawa 99, Japan
“Art for Sale”, Shanghai Plaza, Shanghai, China
“BM99”, Bienal da Maya, Maya Art Center, Maya, Portugal
“Ideas & Concepts”, Shanghai, China
“The Same but Also Changed - Photography Exhibition”, 859 Tian Yao Qiao Road, Shanghai, China


1998
“Jin Yuan Lu Nr.310”, Jin Yuan Lu 310, Shanghai, China

public collections

- Hammer Contemporary Collection, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Tate Modern, London, UK
- Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
- Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, France
- DSL Collection, Paris, France
- Rubell Family Collection, Miami, FL, USA
- Tiroche Deleon Collection, Jaffa, Israel
- Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
- UBS Art Collection, Zurich, Switzerland
- Uli Sigg Collection, Switzerland
- White Rabbit Contemporary Chinese Art Collection, Chippendale, NSW, Australia
- M+ Museum, Hong Kong
- Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation, Switzerland
- Daimler Art Collection, Berlin, Germany
- Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA), Antwerp, Belgium
- Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Norway

awards

2016
- 2016 artnet Awards: Artist of the Year Award

2008
- Best Young Artist of the Year, AAC Award

2004
- Best Artist, CCAA (Contemporary Chinese Art Award)

Curatorial Projects

2012
“EDIT: Image Fetish and Phobia”, ShanghArt Gallery H-Space, Shanghai, China
“GUEST: Standing on the Shoulders of Little Clowns”, UCCA, Beijing, China

2011
“Never Forget the Image Struggle”, Produced by MadeIn Company, TOP Contemporary Art Center, Shanghai, China
“Poster Exhibition”, Produced by MadeIn Company, TOP Events, Shanghai, China
“TOP Events - The Second Session”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Shanghai, China
“TOP Events - The First Session”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Shanghai, China

2010
“Between the Lines – Elisabeth Grubl’s Solo Exhibition”, Produced by MadeIn Company, MadeIn Space, Shanghai, China
“Dedicated to Money Makers – Li Ming, Lin Ke, Yang Junling”, Produced by MadeIn Company, MadeIn Space, Shanghai, China

2009
“Bourgeoisified Proletariat – Contemporary Art Exhibition at Songjiang”, Produced by MadeIn Company, Shanghai Songjiang Creative Studio, Shanghai, China

2007
“The Real Thing - Contemporary Art from China”, Tate Liverpool, Liverpool, U.K.

2006
Solo Exhibition, 2577 Creative Garden, Shanghai, China

2004
“Dial 62761232 - Contemporary Art Exhibition”, BizArt, Shanghai, China

2002
“Fan Mingzhen & Fan Mingzhu - Glad to meet you (Twin exhibition)”, Jin Sha Jiang Road, Shanghai, China

1999
“Art for Sale”, Shanghai Plaza, Shanghai, China

1998
“Jin Yuan Lu Nr.310”, Jin Yuan Lu 310, Shanghai, China

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Xu Zhen "Civilization Iteration", Perrotin Paris

Xu Zhen "Civilization Iteration", Perrotin Paris

XU Zhen