Wonders and Microcosm
Text/Peng Feng
In the contemporary art world, Li Hongbo has burst onto the scene with a unique presence. Wherever his works are displayed, they draw crowds. This is thanks to his ingenious adaptation of the intangible cultural heritage art of paper stretching into a distinctive artistic language, creating breathtaking wonders.
Exhibition Site
Unlike those who use contemporary art to revitalize intangible cultural heritage for cultural industries, Hongbo empowers contemporary art through intangible heritage. His works establish intricate relationships between opposing poles such as the global and the local, contemporary and traditional, urban and rural, minimalism and maximalism. To achieve this, Hongbo intensifies the repetition inherent in the language of paper stretching. The massive repetition compressed within his works transforms the delicacy of intangible heritage paper stretching into a profound practice.
Repetition is power—an unshakeable truth in the contemporary art world—and it holds just as true in Hongbo’s art. However, unlike most artists who employ repetition without reason, Hongbo chooses repetition with purpose. This demands not only perseverance but also wisdom.
Wisdom elevates Hongbo from being merely a creative artist to a perceptive researcher. Research liberates him from the narrow confines of the artist’s ego. Because of this, his practice does not lead him to stop at self-cultivation; instead, it enables him to delve deeper into the insights of history and society. He focuses on the microcosm of textbooks to reveal the transformations of eras and the truths of society.
Exhibition Site
China’s national college entrance exam is a monumental spectacle in our society, and textbooks are the smallest units within this grand phenomenon. Using textbooks to examine the college entrance exam is like seeing the macrocosm in a speck of dust. Spotting textbooks within the exam is no less challenging than finding water droplets in the clouds. With microscopic precision and a macroscopic vision, Hongbo creates for us a true wonder.
I loved drawing when I was young, always looking for things that interested me to describe. After officially studying painting, I began professional sketching training with gypsum teaching aids. After that, I went through middle school and university, and these teaching aids were the objects I depicted. They always stood silently there, at my mercy and freely depicted. No matter how beautiful or ugly, good or bad I draw, they never complain, silently, they are my most loyal companions. When the sunlight shines through the window edges of the studio, reflecting the faces of the plaster models, long memories slowly flow with the rustling sound of pencils. I tried to approach those times in the gentlest way possible, using the most familiar material - paper - to re sculpt these teaching aids and regain their memories in my heart. Static plaster statues are emotionless and unchangeable, while the statues I created through paper bonding, cutting, and polishing, although their contours and colors did not change in static state, appearing to be "superficial" and mistaken for "plaster statues", there was a qualitative change inside. Human participation transformed the solidified shape into a movable sculpture that can stretch, twist, and change, changing the original static space and volume, as well as my memory. Although it has been many years, they have once again become my "companions" and new media and possibilities for me to explore artistic creation. ——Li Hongbo
The Concordia Art Gallery launched artist Li Hongbo's new solo exhibition, "College Entrance Examination" at 4 PM on August 17. Curated by Professor Peng Feng, the exhibition centers on the National College Entrance Examination a topic of profound significance to hundreds of millions of families across China. In a distinctive creative approach, Li Hongbo collected over ten tons of discarded textbooks and learning materials from high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools at recycling stations. On-site, he will create a large-scale installation that offers a deep reflection and reimagination of this deeply etched collective social memory.
Curator Mr. Peng Feng delivered a speech on site
Hongbo is a truly remarkable artist. Many of his works have garnered international acclaim, distinguished by his ability to create extraordinary spectacles from the most ordinary materials. At a time when the possibilities of art appear exhausted, he continues to captivate and win the affection of his audience—a rare achievement. What is even more impressive is his pioneering spirit in breaking through and innovating within the realm of traditional art. Not only has he achieved success both globally and locally with his imaginative creations, but he also reveals himself as a thoughtful intellectual with deep humanistic concerns. His creative approach is both unique and profound, yielding prolific results.His recent high-profile work is a vivid reflection of this depth of research. Rather than focusing on grand social phenomena, it zooms in on educational materials—specifically, systematically collected art textbooks from China’s modernization process—which have been published on the National Invention Network. This offers a unique and in-depth perspective to examine the “nationwide focus on the College Entrance Examination.
Exhibition Site
From my personal perspective, this work adopts a highly powerful form of contemporary artistic expression. As someone who has personally experienced the Gaokao, after viewing this exhibition, looking back on over a decade of diligent study and the journey across that “narrow and competitive path,” I believe each of us will feel a deep resonance and draw different insights. In my opinion, Hongbo’s work meaningfully touches upon and enriches our reflection on the complex phenomenon of the College Entrance Examination. It can truly serve as a strong tool for engaging with this public issue. Thank you very much to everyone here today for coming to the exhibition. We greatly look forward to hearing your opinions and feedback on this work. Your perspectives will contribute to the artist’s future thinking and creative direction. Thank you all once again!
First and foremost, please allow me to express my deepest gratitude. Thank you all for making the special trip to my exhibition on such a scorching hot day—your presence truly moves me. A special thanks to the friends who traveled from all across the country—thank you! I would also like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to Professor Peng. I still remember when I held my first solo exhibition. Professor Peng came to see it after work, around six or seven in the evening as the sun was setting. The moment he pushed the door open, the fading sunlight cast his long silhouette into the gallery… It’s a memory that has stayed with me ever since. It’s fair to say that Professor Peng has truly witnessed my journey and growth as an artist—his attention and support have accompanied almost every new piece I’ve created.
He is not only a scholar but also a true friend who has offered me sincere care and support. Regarding the work itself, the materials I chose are familiar to everyone—they come from our shared experience: the College Entrance Examination. Today, I don’t intend to over-interpret the pieces. Instead, I’d rather express my gratitude: Thank you to everyone, and thank you to the Concordia Art Gallery for providing this precious opportunity to visualize my personal reflections here. I hope these works can offer everyone a visual experience that goes beyond the “act of taking the Gaokao” itself, inspiring each person to reexamine the meaning of the examination and to reflect on how artistic expression interacts with the multidimensional reality that we all perceive and contemplate. All interpretations are open—I do not hold the final word on what the work means.
Exhibition Site
This right belongs to every one of you. Your diverse educational backgrounds, family environments, and social experiences will breathe unique meaning into the works. Your reflections truly extend the life and significance of my art. Thank you once again for taking the time to engage with my work! None of us grows alone—we all rely on the support of many along the way. Here, I must also express my gratitude to the gallery that supported this exhibition. As a commercial entity that needs to sustain itself, embracing and supporting such a personally reflective, even somewhat "idealistic" experimental project is no small gesture. It reflects remarkable vision and courage. Thank you for providing such a free and open space, allowing us to develop and present our ideas. Although the exhibition is far from perfect, for me, it marks an important beginning. If the Gaokao can be seen as the end of an adolescent chapter, it also signifies the start of a more mature phase of life—it is not just an end, but a beginning. Finally, I sincerely wish every friend here a bright tomorrow and a brand new, better start! Thank you, everyone!
Ms. Bao Yu, co-founder of the Concordia Art Center, delivered a speech on site
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Concordia Art Gallery. To celebrate, we have curated a series of exhibitions and events under the theme of “A Decade,” and this exhibition is a key part of that program. It also embodies a special “ten-year connection”—both Artist Li Hongbo and Curator Peng Feng have been witnesses and participants in our shared journey of growth. Just now, Mr. Li very modestly described this exhibition as “idealistic” or“unrealistic.” But as a gallery, we firmly believe that this is truly a museum-caliber show in terms of professionalism and depth. Although the positioning of gallery exhibitions differs from that of museums, Mr. Li’s exhibition focuses particularly on depth and intellectual inspiration. As you can see, it greatly expands the perspectives of both our gallery and our collectors. The reflections sparked by Mr. Li’s work also prompt ongoing introspection and exploration within our practice as a gallery.
We are deeply honored to have the privilege of presenting this exhibition. The growth of Concordia Art Gallery over this past decade carries a significance that goes far beyond the theme of “the College Entrance Examination” explored in this show—it itself constitutes an important milestone. We look forward to carrying the achievements of this exhibition into the next promising decade! Thank you all for experiencing Li Hongbo’s exhibition and engaging in reflection alongside us. The theme it explores—the Gaokao—is deeply relevant to each of us, yet also feels both familiar and distant due to its historical weight. It has undoubtedly shaped a pivotal moment in our collective social memory. We sincerely hope that every visitor leaves feeling inspired and takes away something meaningful from this exhibition.
Peng Feng is currently the Dean of the School of Arts, Peking University, the Dean of the Peking University Institute of Opera Studies, and the Dean of the Institute for Research on the Methods of Chinese Painting at Peking University. He also serves as the Convener of the Art Theory Discipline Review Group under the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, Secretary-General of the Teaching Guidance Committee for Art Theory Majors in Higher Education Institutions of the Ministry of Education, Vice President of the International Association for Aesthetics, Vice President of the Chinese Society for Aesthetics, Council Member of the China Literature and Art Critics Association, and Council Member of the China Artists Association. He has published numerous monographs, textbooks, and essay collections, curated over 100 art exhibitions, and written scripts for musicals, plays, dance dramas, and films.
Artist Li Hongbo
Born in 1974 in Jilin, China, Li Hongbo graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Jilin Normal University in 1996. He completed a training program at the Folk Art Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2001 and earned his master’s degree from the Experimental Art Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2010. He currently serves as a professor and Master’s supervisor at Jilin Normal University, director of the China Paper Art Research Institute at the same university, and director of the Museum of Chinese Basic Education Art Textbooks at Beijing Normal University. He works and lives between Beijing and Jilin. Li Hongbo has developed a highly distinctive artistic style, using paper as his primary medium. Through meticulous bonding and carving techniques, he transforms thousands of sheets of paper into dynamic sculptural pieces. These works appear fragile yet are remarkably resilient—capable of stretching, bending, and morphing into various whimsical and humorous forms. His art not only demonstrates the flexibility of paper but also reflects the artist’s deep understanding of traditional craftsmanship and his unique perspective on contemporary art.
Group photo of guests at the opening ceremony
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