About the Artist: Miao Xiaochun

Chinese Pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale
May 24, 2013 11:32PM

Miao Xiaochun is known for creating conceptual photographs that explore classical Chinese culture and contemporary urbanity. He photographs his scenes and figures separately, and then digitally combines them. In some of these works, the artist is featured as one or multiple characters; many of the compositions are based on iconic paintings, like Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1490-1510) and Michelangelo’s Last Judgment (c. 1537-1541). Miao, however, deigns to categorize his work as conceptual. “Choice is always involved. From this perspective, all photography is conceptual photography,” Miao said. “In actuality these two cannot be separated, nor are they antagonistic.”

Discovery of Something Out of Nothing — Public Enemy © Miao Xiaochun.

Chinese Pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale