Decoding Lu Xinjian’s Urban Cryptograms

“DNA of the city” is the name of the two series of paintings that made Chinese artist Lu Xinjian famous. He uses Google Earth as a source for his work. He reproduces abstract plans and layouts of cities from satellite images, identifies the characteristics of each city, and chooses the colors which represent, for him, their identity. The city is transformed into a code one must decrypt, DNA composed with multiple features. His first attempt was the city of Groningen (Netherlands), where he did his master’s degree; then, he reinterpreted Beijing, Paris, New York, London, etc.

The second solo exhibition of Lu Xinjian will be held from May 5 to July 9 at the Gallery F2 in Caochangdi (Beijing). It will present the masterpieces of the new series «Invisible poems», paintings showing the writings of Li Bai or Shakespeare, on the same principle used to reinterpret the « DNA of the City ».