Xu Zhen

Biography

Xu Zhen is an artist, a curator and the founder of MadeIn Company, a contemporary art creation corporation based in Shanghai. Questioning the conventions and labels of contemporary art and cross-cultural artistic mediations, Xu’s work spans a wide range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation and performance.

Xu’s work has been shown internationally in solo and group exhibitions at the 6th Beaufort Triennial, Belgium (2018); Art Institute of Chicago (2018); Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (2017); National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne ( 2017); Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongqing, China (2016); 20th Biennale of Sydney (2016); Long Museum, Shanghai (2015); Graz Museum, Austria (2015); Moscow Biennale (2015); 12th Biennale de Lyon, France (2013); Hayward Gallery, London (2012); Tate Liverpool (2007); MoMA PS1, New York (2006); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2005); Museum of Modern Art, New York (2004) and Venice Biennale (2001, 2005), among others.

Xu’s awards include the Artist of the Year Award, Robb Report China: 2017 Best of the Best (2017); Artist of the Year Award, artnet Annual Awards (2016); 25th Annual Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award (2016); Best Young Artist of the Year, Award of Art China (AAC) (2008) and Best Artist, China Contemporary Art Award (2004).

Xu co-curated a number of exhibitions in Shanghai and was one of the initiators of Art-Ba-Ba, an online forum for discussion and critique of contemporary art in Shanghai (2006). In his work with the Madeln Company, established in 2009, he focuses on the production of creativity and researches the infinite possibilities of contemporary culture.

Xu graduated from the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Institute (1996). He was born in 1977 in Shanghai, where he continues to live and work.

SAF participation:
Sharjah Biennial 14