Educational Media Reviews Online

The short documentary film Xu Bing: Phoenix tells the story of the conception and installation of a sculpture created from construction debris and refuse materials from building projects in Beijing during the late 2000s. Inspired by the harsh living conditions for construction workers on site at the World Financial Center in Beijing, Chinese artist Xu Bing designed two birds, originally slated for display in the atrium of that building but ultimately never installed there.

The film traces the inspiration for the design (from Chinese folk art) and includes time-lapse video of the sculpture’s assembly at the Today Art Museum in Beijing. The film also shows planning for installation of the sculpture at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Xu Bing provides the sole narrative throughout the film.

While the sculpture itself is visually impressive, Daniel Traub’s film has a few minor flaws. Subtitles are occasionally difficult to read when positioned on top of black and white design sketches of the sculpture. Viewers are also left wondering what might be involved with transporting a sculpture of this size from China to the United States. An external assessment of the significance of Xu Bing’s work or of this sculpture in particular would have strengthened the film, particularly for academic or school libraries looking to incorporate the film as part of art or visual culture courses. Still, the length of the film makes it ideal for viewing in a classroom, and the subject matter is likely to spark discussion on the intersection of art, economics, folklore, and the environment.