Whereas previously displaying his aesthetic intentions through social activities, Xu Qu dissociates his aesthetic conceptions into deconstruction of colour, abstract paintings or installations via a minimalist approach with this exhibition, and by extending the aesthetics that expand on his solo show “Mutable Forms and Immutable Consciousness” held in Bangkok in 2013.

This project is an attempt by the artist to work within the tastes of the exotic, however the artist has not rigidly adhered to the cultural symbolism of dialogue or modes of social research. Rather, the artist follows his own typical aesthetic interests, beginning with designed action involving a process of ‘fangshan’, a traditional practice across Buddhist countries in Asia involving the release of captive fish into the rivers. This arises from sporadic behaviour such as the impact of natural ecologies, the understanding of the viewers in relation to the work, or also by the self-reflections of the audience. The artist avoids interference and merely works to provide clues, whilst he also refrains from specifically pointing to certain answers. For example with his series ‘Route’, his visual games lead to the viewer searching for entry and exit points, but they are based on the viewer’s individual experience or collective memory – this can also be understood within the terms of certain texture of abstraction found in Asia.