This publication presents a retrospective of the performances, photographs, installations and videos of the avant-garde collective that disrupted the Chinese cultural scene in the 1990s. The Big Tail Elephant Working Group was founded at the end of 1990 and existed until 2005, when the four members took part in an exhibition together for the last time (Liang Juhui and Chen Shaoxiong died in their prime, respectively in 2006 and 2016). Those 15 years also witnessed the drastic development and transformation of art and society in the Pearl River Delta region as well as in the whole of China. Big Tail Elephant stood out as a singular presence in the history of Chinese contemporary art, and even today, their artistic practices and thoughts still inspire us with their vision and vitality.
560 pages, 19 x 25 cm, softcover, Les presses du réel (Dijon).