Suspended in the center of the gallery space, hundreds of thin, dark iron stakes form a massive column of sweeping strokes. Each element is tapered from one tip to the other, extending a gentle 4-foot-long arc. The stakes gently dip and sway, lift and nod, protrude and recede, loosely weaving a web of energetic lines and dedicate balance. Encouraged by the air current within the gallery space, one stake may strike another, surprising the viewers with a crisp chime from one moment to another.

“At first glance, the hundreds of suspended pieces of black steel that compose Beili Liu’s site-specific installation Chine may appear entangled and chaotic. The repetitive, tapered strokes come to fine thin points that erratically cross, overlap, dip, and arc. The nearly five hundred saber-like pieces of raw steel, each four feet in length, dangle from ceiling to floor to create a three-dimensional drawing. They fill the center of the gallery space with a pathway along the perimeter of the space for viewers.

As one spends more time circling Chine, order and structure emerges. The calligraphic marks hang in a rectangular grid of staggered rows. Each row consists of equally spaced vertical cables. The steel components are threaded through these cables and balanced perpendicularly at regular intervals from ceiling to floor. When viewed from a distance, Chine separates into distinct horizontal layers with equidistant gaps. The rectangular mass as a whole delineates the basic architectural features of the gallery – its height, length, and width. The configuration and spacing allows the installation to change from different vantage points. From one angle, the layers separate to present a moment of suspended animation. From another, they entangle and overlap, filled with potential energy as each curved piece of steel slowly rotates on its axis”.

- Josha Fisher, Assistant curator, Rice University Art Gallery

Image by Lisa Richardson

Image by Lisa Richardson

Chine installation, Video footage by Carrithers Studio