The 20th installment of “Reviewing the Past”—Guangxi Performance Art Archive 1995–2024—will be held at the Archives on the evening of September 13, 2025.
According to existing documentation, the earliest known performance art creation in mainland China was the “Plastic Bag Action” performed by Hong Kong artist Guo Menghao (Frog King) in Beijing in 1979. Mainland-based artists began creating performance art around 1985, with occurrences in Beijing, Xiamen, Tibet, Shanghai, Wuhan, and other locations, though the number of creators remained small. The 1990s marked a period of heightened activity, with performance art flourishing in both quantity and quality. According to existing records, the earliest documented performance art in Guangxi—a region relatively peripheral to cultural centers—was “Personality,” created by artist Gui Rongbiao in Nanning, Guangxi in 1995.
The developmental trajectory of Guangxi’s performance art vividly reflects the inherent fate of avant-garde art: volatility and serendipity. Its evolution, while influenced by broader trends, was more profoundly shaped by the impetus of specific individuals—or even a single person during a particular period—whose efforts shaped the entire regional ecosystem of performance art. Thus, we observe: a sudden, brief burst of activity around the year 2000, followed by a hiatus lasting over a decade, and then a resurgence after 2013 with a surge of events organized through art festivals. It is heartening that this momentum has persisted to the present day, gradually developing into a landscape of international exchange.
Though Guangxi’s performance art history is relatively short and its practitioners few, its origins stretch back decades. Many eyewitnesses have either stepped away from the art world or relocated from their homeland. Even the few early scholars who championed and studied performance art, like Mr. Su Lu, have passed away. The marginal status of performance art means its extensive archival materials, while not entirely forgotten by the art world, are rarely referenced. Uncovering historical clues often requires extensive consultation, making collection work exceptionally challenging. The phased completion of this preliminary organization owes much to the collaboration and assistance of colleagues like Zhou Shaobo, Luo Quan, Jin Feng, and many others. It should be noted that the UP-ON Archives’ primary focus lies in gathering historical materials; deeper organization, research, and exhibition of these documents will require greater involvement from future collaborators.
We extend our special gratitude to Professor Peng Xiang for his selfless dedication. Working and living in Shanghai far from Guangxi, he has made time amidst his busy schedule to organize and compile archival materials—truly a labor of love! On the evening of September 13th, we invite interested friends to visit the UP-ON Performance Art Archive in person and hear Professor Peng Xiang share stories of Guangxi’s performance art scene over the past three decades!
《Personality》 Gui Rongbiao, 1995, Nanning, Guangxi
Process: Bound myself to the studio sofa, spent three days and nights questioning myself before a mirror, beer bottles shattered across the floor, candles lit throughout the room.
《Building Our Paradise!》 Huang Shaopeng, 1998, Nanning, Guangxi
Implementation Process: Hired farmers from Xinkai District to spray gold paint on vegetable gardens nearing harvest.
《 Art Event: “Turn of the Century · Artists · Xieyang Island — Several Future Lifestyles》 2000, Xieyang Island, Guangxi
Participating Artists: Cang Xin, Chen Shaoxiong, Dai Guangyu, Fu Junsan, He Zhenhai, Huang Yan, Huang Shaopeng, Jin Feng, Liu Chengying, Li Xiang, Ma Jian, Qiu Zhijie, Tan Haishan, Qin Jigang, Wang Guofeng, Wang Qi, Wei Jun, Weng Fen, Xue Li, Zhou Bin, Zhou Shaobo, Zhou Xiaohu.
“Thought Ascending” First Shanghe City Performance Art Festival, 2019, Curator: Peng Xiang
The Second Dongxing International Live Art Festival, 2024 , Curators: Wen Jinghao, Lü Desheng
UP-ON Archive Salon no.20
Looking Back Part 20: File of Performance art in Guangxi(1995-2024)
RSVP only. Reviewing archives on-site
Lecturer: Xiang Peng（Artist)
Host: Kejun Dong（CEO, Yoho Culture)
19:30～21:30
Time：Sep.13 2025( Saturday )19:30-21:30
Sponsor: UP-ON Performance Art Archive
Xiang Peng
Graduated from the Experimental Art School of the Central Academy of Fine Arts with a Master of Fine Arts degree. Currently serves as an Associate Professor at a university and resides in Shanghai. Engages in creative work encompassing performance art, installation, video art, and painting alongside teaching responsibilities.
