Xu Bing’s cross-cultural fertilization: Ziran in transplanting

Abstract

Abstract Using ‘Forest Project’ by contemporary Chinese artist Xu Bing as a case study, this article investigates how the ideology of Ziran (the Chinese version of nature) has been promoted through the practice of art at a community and international level. Mainly focusing on the first two editions of the project in Kenya (2008) and Shenzhen (2009), the paper argues that the artist’s approach to the environment of others and his own demonstrates his frustration towards cultural hegemony while drawing attention to the notion of sustainability proposed by Ziran, which is built on an independent and self-generating system.