Li Binyuan's Physical Limits Tested in Shanghai Solo Exhibition at Rén Space

Li Binyuan presented his solo exhibition 'Breaking Point' at Rén Space in Shanghai from September 19 to October 26, 2019. The artist, once nicknamed 'the young streaker' by Sohu news site six years earlier, combines his sculpture training from CAFA in Beijing with performance works that test physical endurance. The exhibition featured video documentation of performances including 'Natural History' (2019), filmed at a disused factory in Tianjin, where the artist packed explosives under concrete-filled metal boxes and narrowly escaped detonation. Another work, 'Justice' (2011), showed Li extending his arm with a burning firework toward the sky. In 'Room' (2019), he ignited a flammable material strip across a bare room while standing calmly astride it. 'Divergent Paths' (2012) depicted the artist in a swivel chair at a road fork, throwing firecrackers at passing cars. A sculptural installation titled 'Rumor' (2019) consisted of 600 giant golden arrows piercing ceramic human tongues pinned to walls. The exhibition was reviewed in the Winter 2019 issue of ArtReview Asia. Rén Space occupies a restored three-storey 1930s building with traditional Shanghainese architecture and a delicate garden. Li's repetitive actions, whether dangerous or mundane, strip conventional meaning from them while exploring the body's breaking points.