This exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver traces the evolution of Gu Xiong’s artistic practice and the major influences that defined it.
Born in Chongqing, China and based in Vancouver, BC, Gu spent time as a labourer during the Cultural Revolution, faced challenges as a Canadian immigrant, built an academic career as a professor at UBC, and explored global migration—all the while committing to his artistic practice.
An internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist, Gu works across mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, and site-specific installations. “His work redefines how we understand migration, hybridity, and globalization,” the museum says.
His extensive bio, here.
Becoming: The Art of Gu Xiong – on through Feb. 7, 2027 at The Museum of Vancouver
A profile of the artist, and the exhibition, in The Tyee, May 2026
A good article below, in Preview Art Magazine.
Image at top of post: Gu Xiong in front of his Crushed Cans painting and silkscreen print series (1991-93), an embodiment of his experience with culture shock.
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I don’t often visit the MOV, but you’ve just put it back on my list! (Maybe after the Audain in Whistler, for the Takao Tanabe exhibition…)
Times / exhibitions like this, I wish i was on the West Coast, or at least closer. Thank you.