Eternity is a series of sculptural installations composed of replicas of selected classic statues deemed the highest benchmark of Western and Asian civilizations. Replicas made out of compound mineral take the form of Gods combined with that of Buddha statues sourced from temples across China. The missing heads of the Western sculptures are replaced crudely with statues of Buddha positioned upside down, held together by the necks.
The artist has taken a provocative but also humorous approach on the differences in Western and Eastern culture. The sculptures of the Greek Gods mark the beginning of Western civilization while the statues of Buddha represent the highest form of spirituality in oriental culture. The migration of these timeless art pieces recounts the history of colonization, international politics and wars. By almost forcefully combining the two aesthetically and culturally opposite elements, the artist brings the cultural conflicts and power struggles of human history to the foreground.
Xu Zhen’s predominant creative perspective is to explore the problematic and contentious in the politics of culture. He probes issues around the pretension of human condition, looking to upset and challenge the assumptions of established order.