liu bolin: the invisible man at eli klein fine art

liu bolin ‘dragon series’, 2010 1 of 9 118 x 150cm all images courtesy of eli klein fine art and the artist

liu bolin: the invisible man eli klein fine art, new york june 29th to august 28th, 2011

eli klein fine art presents ‘the invisible man’, the third solo exhibition of beijing artist liu bolin at the new york-based gallery. the show features new photographs that continue the artist’s exploration of the chinese national identity and the relationship between human beings and their surrounding environment.

‘the invisible man’ includes large-scale photographs of his recent self-camouflage works ‘hiding in the city’ as well as ‘dragon series’. in ‘hiding in the city’ series of photographs, bolin pays tribute to the history of china, particularly that of beijing. in one group of images ‘dragon series’, the artist has chosen the iconic site of the ‘nine dragon wall’ in beihai park to celebrate the grandeur of chinese culture and history. the motif of the five-clawed dragon, symbol of imperial power, chasing the inflamed pearl is prominent in chinese classical culture. the ceramic wall is also a magnificent illustration of chinese artistic craftsmanship.

for this exhibition, bolin is producing three photos between june 20th and june 29th. from june 21st to 22nd, he will hide in a shelf of new york magazines and newspapers. for his second photo, he will disguise himself in graffiti art on the street – potentially kenny scharf’s mural on houston and bowery (still unconfirmed), and the third photo will be taken at ground zero. these performances are open for public viewing.

liu bolin ‘dragon series’, 2010 2 of 9 118 x 150cm

liu bolin ‘dragon series’, 2010 3 of 9 118 x 150cm

liu bolin ‘dragon series’, 2010 4 of 9 118 x 150cm

liu bolin ‘dragon series’, 2010 5 of 9 118 x 150cm

liu bolin ‘dragon series’, 2010 6 of 9 118 x 150cm

liu bolin ‘dragon series’, 2010 7 of 9 118 x 150cm

liu bolin ‘dragon series’, 2010 8 of 9 118 x 150cm

liu bolin ‘dragon series’, 2010 9 of 9 118 x 150cm