Liu Bolin: The invisible man
刘勃麟: 隐形人
Beijing-based artist Liu Bolin silently comments on modern sociopolitical conditions by disappearing into his art. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
转型过程中失去工作岗位的这些人。
工作生活了一辈子的废弃的车间里面。
但其实,在这隐藏的,
他们只是被隐形了。
将在未来的几十年内消失。
我会更加注重思想的表达。
桶装方便面品牌的杯包装里,
拍这件作品时所穿的衣服,
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Liu Bolin - ArtistBeijing-based artist Liu Bolin silently comments on modern sociopolitical conditions by disappearing into his art.
Why you should listen
Artist Liu Bolin began his "Hiding in the City" series in 2005, after Chinese police destroyed Suo Jia Cun, the Beijing artists' village in which he'd been working, because the government did not want artists working and living together. With the help of assistants, he painstakingly painted his clothes, face, and hair to blend into the background of a demolished studio.
Since then, the so-called "Invisible Man" has photographed himself fading into a variety of backgrounds all over Beijing. Spot him embedded in a Cultural Revolution slogan painted on a wall, or spy him within tiers of supermarket shelves stocked with soft drinks. Just as with Bolin himself, the contradictions and confusing narratives of China's post-Cultural Revolution society are often hiding in plain sight.
Liu Bolin | Speaker | TED.com