Traceable Interdependence

The Songshan Lake Biennale is one of the most influential contemporary art biennales in southern China in recent years. Focusing on the relationship between contemporary art, technology, manufacturing and urban development, the biennale emphasizes the practical intervention of art in the “industry–city–society” structure. Under the theme of Traceable Interdependence, the exhibition unfolds a four‑month dialogue on technology, nature, cities and art. It is not merely an exhibition or an artistic feast, but also a profound reflection and poetic response to new pathways of urban development.

Eternity is based on headless sculptures of ancient civilizations from museums around the world. Xu Zhen recast these works to create new art pieces. On the missing heads of these originally fragmented sculptures, he grafted other headless and broken torsos also collected from museums worldwide. These works, hailed as timeless art and symbols of eternity, represent the highest achievements of human history and civilization. They also bear witness to the mutual influence and coexistence throughout human history, as well as the intricate yet symbiotic relationships between different cultures.

Xu Zhen’s creations not only refer to the awe‑inspiring history of art, and symbolize humanity’s seemingly irreconcilable Babel‑like divisions, but also embody an inclusive spirit rooted in Eastern wisdom.

The work reconstructs the narrative logic of art history by combining the torso of the Roman god Ares (1st–2nd century AD) from the Louvre with the body of a fertility goddess from the Aegean Cycladic culture (c. 4500 BC), bridging a time and geographical gap of five thousand years.

By deconstructing classics, breaking conventions and recombining them in a unique way, the work interweaves civilizational traces from different eras and regions, producing a radical visual and cultural impact and constructing a new interpretation of civilization and history. Through this fusion of classics, the public artwork also reveals that the development of human civilization is not isolated, but mutually influential and intertwined. Just as Dongguan has evolved from an ancient post town to a new city of intelligent manufacturing, it suggests that human civilization will continue in the narrative of Eternity.