I am taking a very interesting class on Contemporary Chinese Art at MOMA. Have been inspired/touched/disgusted by many works studied in the class, I want to leave some comments before forgetting.

*** It is almost impossible to discuss Contemporary Chinese Art without knowing Xu Bing, whose name is "spelled", or "signed", or "crafted" on the left.

Half of the Chinese people to whom I showed Xu's works hate him, as he created these calligraphy-like characters that are in fact, composed of English alphabet. What are they? Chinese? English? Both? Neither? These squary words mock the hell out of both Chinese intellectuals and Westerners with Chinese fever, in my opinion.

For this reason, I like Xu Bing. I don't believe the so-called political message hidden in his quasi calligraphy. "Words mean nothing if one cannot talk politics", "You can seal my mouth, but you cannot stop me from expressing" ... Oh give me a break! I like him because of his savvy, a brilliant

http://www.xubing.com/