As Words Are Lost: Interview with Jia
By Clara Tang
Portrait of JIA. Courtesy Daniel Biskup.
By moving between the cultural spheres of China and Germany, the value of language and cultural preservation looms large in Berlin-based artist Jia’s practice. Known for her series “The Chinese Version” (2011– ), in which well-known and forgotten Chinese characters form geometric shapes on canvas, the artist’s interest in disappearing cultural phenomena goes well beyond the written language within her multifaceted practice of performance, conceptual art and social engagement that stems from her formative years in film, Chinese opera and architecture. ArtAsiaPacific caught up with Jia in her charming studio between piles of books, a small stage, and a ballet barre to talk about her cultural transit, the loss of languages and her current art projects.
