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From Libraries to the Dunhuang Library Cave: Exploring Historical Memory in Art

Cosmic Models: Reimagining the Library Cave at Dunhuang, installation view at the Altar of Earth Park in Beijing, 2025. Photo by permission of the artist.

Renowned artist Xiaoze Xie will share the three-decade journey of his artistic exploration of history and memory, highlighting his ambitious projects on the history of banned books in China and the dispersal and loss of the Dunhuang Library Cave’s cultural treasures. Through compelling images of paintings, sculptures, and multimedia installations, he will discuss the ideas, research, and creative processes behind these works. He will also reflect on his distinctive approach to integrating scholarly research with artistic practice, offering insight into the evolving direction of his recent projects.

Xiaoze Xie is an internationally recognized artist and the Paul L. & Phyllis Wattis Professor of Art at Stanford University. He received his Master of Fine Art degrees from the Central Academy of Arts & Design in Beijing and the University of North Texas. Xie has exhibited extensively in the US and internationally. His most recent solo exhibitions were at the Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing and the Asia Society Museum in New York City. Xie has participated in numerous group exhibitions including the 2026 Chengdu Biennale and the 2022 Wuhan Biennale. His work is in the permanent collection of museums across the U.S. and in 2022, Xie received the Asia Game Changer West Award from the Asia Society Northern California.

Chinese Library No. 66, 2018, oil on linen, 48 x 72 inches. Photo by permission of the artist.

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