Can a contemporary art institution dedicated to showcasing the work of ‘international’ artists credibly critique globalisation? Xiuzhen remediates commodities, turning second-hand fabrics into ‘immersive’ experiences, concrete building blocks into objects of speculation, and, as a side-effect, all mass-market goods into high-status ideas. She is, in other words, the gallery’s quintessential supply chain contractor.
Xiuzhen’s fabric installations show up the seamlessness of air travel and sameness of ‘global cities’ which render moving between them as futile as driving to the shopping mall in the next town in search of inspiration. This revelation was, sadly, lost on the artists and failed to stop the art shippers in their tracks. Xiuzhen’s chagrin is only for Beijing; London’s lot remains made in China.






