"Skew" and "Tear down this wall" join the "Bald Girls-Chain Reaction" in Germany

On March 3, 2012, the exhibition "Bald Girsl" curated by Juan Xu opened at "Iberia Contemporary Art Center" in Beijing. Artists Xiao Lu, Li Xinmo, and Lan Jing shave their heads at the opening ceremony, announcing the establishment of "Bald Girls". It clearly takes feminist position and focuses on women and social issues. 2022 is the tenth anniversary of "Bald Girls", the exhibition "Bald Girls: Chain Reaction" will be held at KUH Art space in Dusseldorf, Germany on July 14, 2022.

From left: Jiny Lan, Xiao Lu and Li Xinmo shaved their hair at opening on 3 March, 2012

Curator: Juan Xu

Co-Curator: Julia Hartmann

Artist: Xiao Lu, Jiny Lan, Li Xinmo, Guo Zhen, Yan Geling, Yan Rechtmann, MAI LING, VALIE EXPORT, Sandra Miranda Pattin, Hunang Mei.

Organizer: IO Cultural Network e. V, Chinese Feminist Artists Alliance.

Opening: 7PM, 14 July, 2022

Exhibition time: 14 July 2022 - 6 August

Exhibition location: KUH Art space in Dusseldorf, Germany

Address: Hansaallee 159 40549 Dusseldorf KUHe.V

The exhibition "Bald Girls: Chain Reaction" opened on 14 July, 2022. Part artist and Curator took photo together.

Dirt·trace（Performance)

Artists: Xiao Lu, Jiny Lan

2022.7.14

KUH Art Space in Düsseldorf, Germany

Exhibition: The Bald Girl - Chain Reaction

Curator: Juan Xu

Co-curator: Julia Hartmann

"Tear down this wall", one of the works exhibited in "Bald Girl - Chain Reaction" in Düsseldorf.

“Tear down this wall” Installation/Video (3’54”)

2022.6

Video download from WeChat

Editor: Xiao Lu

When I saw on WeChat how people were being caged in time after time behind barbed wire and fences, and their personal space wantonly trampled underfoot in the name of the Chinese zero-tolerance policy towards the Covid pandemic, I kept hearing the words of former US President Ronald Reagan ringing in my ears when he cried out in front of the Brandenburg Gate on the border of West Berlin on June 12, 1987: “Tear down this wall!”

The video materials used in this work were all downloaded and edited from WeChat. Some of the videos I had saved were very promptly banned. the fact that there were still people constantly publishing videos like this on WeChat despite such high pressure being applied in controlling the internet, is itself an attitude of resistance.

"Tear down this wall" video link：https://www.instagram.com/p/CgPqAjGl6I2/

"Skew", one of the works exhibited in "Bald Girl - Chain Reaction" in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Skew ( Installation / Performance )

Performance Time: 12th Spt, 2019

Location: 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong

Matirials: Acrylic trilateral pyramid, each edge 2.1 meters, red-coloured water, a black dress.

Dress design: Feng Ling

Performance Process

Xiao Lu, wearing a long black dress stands in front of the work and tells the viewers: “This work is for Hong Kong.” She then enters the space shaped like a trilateral pyramid, two sides of which (including the base) are red, the remaining two sides being transparent, and which is almost hermetically sealed. Through a round hole, which remains unsealed as yet, the audience pours red-coloured water, after which this hole is also closed. Xiao Lu tries to break out from the inside, banging her head, hands and body against all sides. She stands up and falls again repeatedly. She struggles and roars, and resists desperately. Finally with all the might in her body, she opens up a gap in one side of the triangle. Red water surrounds her rolling body as it gushes out of the closed triangular space.

“It’s not because there is hope that we resist. It’s because we resist that there is hope” – the people of Hong Kong. 

In 2019 Hong Kong was a bonfire. To protect the freedom, democracy, and rule of law in their homeland, the people of Hong Kong startled the world with their tears and roared with the cries of devils and gods. Their self-immolating courage inspired Xiao Lu’s soul. She was there to experience and record the “anti-extradition” protest marches, and completed her performance work Tilt in Hong Kong on 12 September, 2019. 

Xiao Lu uses the colours black and red in building the installation Tilt, then enters the fully enclosed space. Her struggle and resistance are combined with images of the Hong Kong people’s “anti-extradition” protest marches. As she stated before carrying out the performance Tilt: “This work is for Hong Kong!”.