Rainbow is an early work by Xu Zhen that demonstrates his overarching fascination with the fragility and resilience of the human body, and individuality, in relation to society. It shows a bare back being slapped repeatedly, reddening with each blow and eventually becoming entirely bruised and blotchy. Xu edits out the hands inflicting the slaps, thereby removing the act of violence and leaving only its visual and sonic trace. The static framing paired with dubbed sound suggests a long progression of time. Through this injured body, Xu crafts a meditation on the visibility and invisibility of violence.
Xu Zhen (born 1977, Shanghai) graduated from the Shanghai School of Arts and Crafts in 1996. Since then he has produced conceptually-driven and controversial projects as an artist, curator, and founder of MadeIn, a company he set up in 2009 to collaborate with a group of artists and technicians. He works in photography, installation, video, and performance; his work contains a level of theatrical humour and criticises social conventions, reflecting the infinite possibilities of contemporary culture. Xu lives and works in Shanghai.