Li Binyuan — Aphasia (Video still) 2022 2023 Courtesy of the artist
Li Binyuan – Aphasia
Three characters on a fantastical journey transcending language and existence.
➤ Courtyard
➤ Thursday 18 September: 19:00 → 02:00 (ongoing)
➤ Friday 19 September: 19:00 → 05:00 (ongoing)
In Aphasia, we follow three characters embarking on a fantastical journey on a southern island. In absence of dialogue, the narrative focuses on body language, movement and the evolving environment. The film, created in collaboration with Renke and Maotao, is not only an exploration of the individual inner world but also a profound reflection on the potential connections between humans, their surroundings, and the spheres created with one another. Li Binyuan's poignant performance imagery transports us into a space filled with dreamlike and symbolic meaning, beyond the limitations of language.
2022-2023 / 30'00" / no dialogue / experimental film
Li Binyuan
(°1985, Yongzhou, Hunan Province, China)
Li Binyuan explores physicality, chance, play and social values through actions, film works and performances that intervene in the social fabric of everyday society. His experiments occupy urban and rural spaces, from the public arena of the street, to remote post-industrial sites and isolated settings in nature. Using his body as a sculptural material to enact creative investigation, he uses ruptures and repetition to manifest how sculpture and performance can intertwine.
His work is part of many institutional collections including The Museum of Modern Art, and has been awarded numerous prices amongst which The Golden Key Award nomination at the 37th Kassel Documentary Festival (2020), The Chinese Youth Artist Award of the 14th AAC Art (2020), and The Grand Prize Winner of the 17th Sovereign Asian Art Prize (2021). Recent major solo exhibitions include Becoming Li Binyuan (Song Art Museum, Beijing, 2025), and Flowing Fire (Contemporary Gallery Kunming, 2024). Li Binyuan lives and works in Berlin and Yongzhou.
