Xu Bing: Phoenix

The catalog to accompany Xu Bing's monumental exhibition Phoenix, which was on view in MASS MoCA's Building 5 in 2013.

Drawing inspiration from the contemporary realities of his fast-changing country, Chinese artist Xu Bing spent two years creating his newest work, Phoenix. The installation features two monumental birds fabricated entirely from materials harvested from construction sites in urban China, including demolition debris, steel beams, tools, and remnants of the daily lives of migrant laborers.