Xu Tan was born in Wuhan, Hubei Province in 1957. In the early 1990s he joined the “Big Tail Elephant Group” in Guangzhou with Lin Yinlin, Chen Shaoxiong and Liang Juhui. The aim of this group is to develop critical strategies for negotiating the rapidly changing economic and cultural life in China.

We are particularly grateful to the Asian Cultural Council for making Xu Tan’s residency at Location One possible.

Qing Hua Porcelain (Blue & White) (Location One: 23 May – 29 June, 2002) is a video/sound installation in which Xu Tan explores the differences in American and Chinese cultural interpretations of what is “real” and what is “fake”. Although each culture distinguishes and classifies “real” from “fake”, neither clearly defines these terms.

Artist Interview with Barbara London, Video and Media Curator at The Museum of Modern Art