Dallas Contemporary to open Liu Xiaodong solo exhibition on 30 January

11 January 2021

'Liu Xiaodong: Borders' will open at Dallas Contemporary on 30 January 2021. The exhibition presents a new series of works by Liu, who has documented sociological settings in his painting for over thirty years, comprising paintings, diary entries and videos. The 'Borders' series developed from two research trips led by the artist along the U.S.–Mexico border in 2019.

During his visits, Liu embedded himself within the region’s communities, temporarily residing in cities such as Eagle Pass, Piedras Negras, El Paso, Ciudad Juarez, Laredo, Nuova Laredo and Marfa as departure platforms to create his work. His paintings document individuals, locations and contemporary societies in flux on both sides of the Rio Grande River, as a means to telling the personal stories he witnessed as well as offering a depiction of a parallel landscape to the border, often unknown to the U.S. public and not represented in the media. He describes a varied world animated and enriched by diversity, where family and collective values stand out as primordial communal means for peace and fraternity.

The exhibition will also feature a forty-minute documentary by filmmaker Yang Bo, shot during Liu's time at the border, immersing visitors in vivid depictions of his travels and explorations.

'Borders' runs until 22 May. Find further information via Dallas Contemporary.