Xiaobin Lin
About
In 'Panorama Plantation', Xiaobin Lin scrutinizes the core human activity of agricultural production, probing into the intricacies of how societal forces control individual actions. Through the contrasting elements of wheat and resin, he muses on the interplay between nature, human intervention, and societal structures.
When crafting resin-encased wheat, Lin positioned himself in the producer's role, drawing parallels with his experiences in screen printing. This process not only immersed him in the creative work but also reflected the societal discipline and regulation within which we all operate. This experience incited questions about the possibilities of self-expression amidst these constraints and its subsequent impact on our identity and actions.
Statement
Born in southern China, Xiaobin Lin currently studies and lives in London.
Specialising in the use of different media in his artwork, he focuses on the subtle relationship between mass media and politics in the contemporary capitalist world. In his work, objects or pictorial information that people can find in everyday life often appear, and he reworks these elements, incorporating his thoughts and critiques of contemporary society into his work, giving these objects new meaning and provoking thought and empathy.
Panorama Plantation
Medium: Wheat, resin, soil
Size: 200cm×200cm
HAPPY FARM
HAPPY FARM
In this work 'HAPPY FARM', Lin Xiaobin employs visuals from the popular online game of the same name, drawing attention to the intersections between human activity, nature, and capitalistic systems. As an artist, Lin navigates the delicate balance between survival activities such as farming, and the alienating forces of capitalism that often estrange producers from their produce.
In 'HAPPY FARM', Lin masterfully merges the virtual with the natural, provoking thought about the world's relationship with absolute power. The piece utilizes imagery from a digitally constructed world, while also reflecting upon a practice as timeless and natural as farming. Lin's intention is to draw out familiarity in his work, subtly distort it, and in the process illuminate the manner in which human activities and their inherent meanings are reshaped under the pervasive influence of capitalism.
Medium: Digital models
Size: 00:00:30
BRAVE NEW WORLD
In today's world of stable social structures, rampant industrialisation, and capital domination, Xiaobin Lin observes a parallel with the novel "Brave New World". He suggests a societal system that, through capital, negates human individuality, alienates inherent human motives, and confines individuals to repetitive work roles, thus inhibiting critical thinking.
In this work, Lin utilises pixel dots - a man-made basic unit of image display - to compose his images, a choice that simultaneously represents human invention and strips away the personalised brushstrokes of traditional artistry. The resulting works resemble the output of an algorithm, an impersonal product of programming. This technique serves as Lin's critique of a society in which individuals increasingly mirror programmed robots. Through this critique, Lin emphasises the assembly-line nature of modern society, illustrating humans as mere components sustaining the perpetual production machine - an antagonistic yet inseparable relationship.
Medium: Print, Digital drawing
Size: 841mm×1189mm