Xu Tan

Xu Tan (b. 1957, China) currently lives and works in Guangzhou, China. Xu is notably known for his ongoing project Searching for Keywords that analyses video interviews of different communities to identify key words based on meaning that reveal values and motivations of contemporary Chinese society. The derivative lexicon gives a pulse of the current social climate and presents an insight into the collective social consciousness of China.

Xu is recipient of Fellowship of the Asian Cultural Council, Rockefeller Foundation, United States (2002). He has participated in numerous international exhibitions such as Making World and Dreams and Conflicts – The Viewer’s Dictatorship, Venice Biennale, Italy (2009, 2003) and Alors Le Chine, Center Pompidou, France (2003). Keywords School has exhibited extensively at Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Canada (2010); Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong (2009); Vitamin Creative Space, China (2008) and Bonniers Konsthall, Sweden (2008). A member of Big Tail Elephant Group from 1993 to 1998, he participated in the group’s guerilla style exhibitions and most recently exhibited collectively at the retrospective exhibition Operation PRD – Big Tail Elephants: One Hour, No Room, Five Shows, Guangdong Times Museum, China (2016).