Starting from 2002, Miao Xiaochun began to create large, colorful photographs with the help of digital technology. While these works evoke earlier themes and images: the deepening commercialization of Chinese society, the solitude of the ancient gentleman, and the contrast between traditional and contemporary culture, their increasingly complex compositions reflect the artists heightened attraction to stylistic and technical innovations. Digital technology allows him to realize in photography this artistic vision derived from traditional painting, as he can weave numerous images into a single composition, creating subtle tensions and transitions unattainable with a conventional camera.

In his most recent work “The Last Judgement” Miao Xiaochun has generated a 3-D model of his body and substituted his image for each of the 400 figures in Michelangelo’s painting. Using software to manipulate the model into different positions, he then integrated these 3-D figures into a virtual space based on Michelangelo’s composition. He could then travel within the painting like a tourist, taking photos as he went along, from within the pictorial frame as well as from without. The artist worked with three assistants for six months to create these works.

1964
Born in Wuxi Jiangsu, China
1982-86
Studied at the Nanjing University
1986-89
Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, lived as Artist in Beijing
1989-95
Studied at the Kunsthochschule Kassel, Germany
1995-99
Present-works as a teacher at the Department Photography and Digital Medie of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2006
“THE LAST JUDGEMENT IN CYBERSPACE”, White Space Beijing, China
“THE LAST JUDGEMENT IN CYBERSPACE”, Walsh Gallery, Chicago, USA
“THE LAST JUDGEMENT IN CYBERSPACE”, Alexander Ochs Gallery Berlin, Germany
2004
“A VISITOR FROM THE PAST”, Epson Photo Gallery, Beijing, China
“PHANTASMAGORIA”, Walsh Gallery, Chicago, USA
2003
“NEW WORKS”, Museum of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
2002
“LINGER”, Gallery Urs Meile, Lucerne, Switzerland
2001
“FROM EAST TO WEST AND BACK TO EAST”, Museum of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
1999
“KULTURBEGEGNUNGEN”, Gallery Stellwerk, Kassel, Germany
1994
“SOLO SHOW”, Beijing Art Museum, China
“SOLO SHOW”, Shanghai Art Museum, China
1992
“SOLO SHOW”, National Museum of Chinese history, Beijing, China
1991
“SOLO SHOW”, Beijing Art Museum, China
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2006
“MAHJONG ­ CHINESISCHE GEGENWARTSKUNST AUS DER SAMMLUNG SIGG”, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
“MoCA ENVISAGEL ­ Entry Gate: CHINESE AESTHETICS OF HETEROGENEITY”, MoCA Shanghai, Shanghai, China
“CITY SKINS – IMAGES OF THE CONTEMPORARY METROPOLIS”, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
2005
“GUANGZHOU INTERNATIONAL PHOTO BIENNALE”, Guangdong Art Museum, Gunagzhou, China
“CONTEMPORARY CHINESE PHOTOGRAPHY”, The Red Mansion Foundation, London, UK
“THE CITY IN 360 DEGREES”, Beijing New Art Projects, Dashanzi Art district, China
“MAKING A NEW RELATIONSHIP – THE ART ETHICS”, Dimensions Art Center, Taipei, Taiwan
“CONFLUENTES II”, international artists in Ludwig Museum, Koblenz, Germany
“BETWEEN PAST AND FUTURE – NEW PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO FROM CHINA”, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
“CITY OF DREAMS”, The Red Mansion Foundation, London, UK
“ART FORUM BERLIN 2005”, Berlin, Germany
“CITY SKIN – IMAGES OF THE CONTEMPORARY METROPOLIS”, Gallery Tap, Macao, China
“GROUND REALITY: NEW GENERATION OF CHINESE CONTEMPORARY ART”, Seoul Art Center, South Korea
“SKIN OF CITY”, Tashi Art Museum, Macao, China
“HARVEST – CHINESE PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSITION, Art Scene Warehouse, Shanghai, China
“PINGYAO INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FAIR 2005”, Pingyao, China
2004
“MIAO XIAOCHUN AND RIVKA RINN, White Square 797, Art Space, Beijing, China
2003
“ME AND MORE”, Kunstmuseum Luzern, Switzerland
2002
“Shanghai Biennale 2002 “CHINA – TRADITION UND MODERNE”, Ludwig Galerie, Schloss Oberhausen, Germany
“MEDIA SEOUL 2002”, The 2nd Seoul International Media Art Biennale, Seoul, Korea
“CHINESE CONTEMPORARY ART”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb