Huang Rui 《89》 Ink-stained books

02/05/2026 – 27/06/2026

Nagel Draxler Kabinett
Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße 33
10178 Berlin

Opening / Eröffnung:
Freitag, Mai 1, 2026, 18 – 21 Uhr
Friday, May 1, 2026, 6 – 9pm

Öffnungszeiten / Opening hours:
Dienstag - Freitag 11 – 18 Uhr, Samstag 12 – 18 Uhr
Tuesday - Friday 11am – 6pm, Saturday 12 – 6pm

Besondere Öffnungszeiten während des Berlin Gallery Weekends /
Special Opening hours during Berlin Gallery Weekend:
Samstag, 2. Mai 2026, 11 – 19 Uhr, Saturday, May 2, 2026, 11am – 7pm
Sonntag, 3. Mai 2026, 11 – 18 Uhr, Sunday, May 3, 2026, 11am – 6pm

Huang Rui, „Works of Karl Marx, 6 volumes“, 2025 Books and ink, stone and rope 42 x 30 x 38.5 cm Image courtesy the artist and Galerie Nagel Draxler Berlin/Cologne/Meseberg

Huang Rui, „Yin & Yang – Selected Works of Mao Zedong, 4 volumes“, 1990 Books and ink 6 x 13.7 x 20.2 cm Image courtesy the artist and Galerie Nagel Draxler Berlin/Cologne/Meseberg

Press Release

In his exhibition《89》Ink-stained books, Chinese artist Huang Rui reflects on historical memories of the year 1989 in Beijing and Berlin.

"Ink-stained books bestow forbidden value upon what was once forbidden. In 1992, I first saw the crumbling Berlin Wall. I knew its story—before 1989 and in 1989. Now it is nearly invisible. The “1989 Wall” in Beijing, China, is tall, heavy, and long. Not only is it invisible, but almost no one is aware of its existence. Any written text, printed material, or online/offline content about that history remains taboo in China. Seeing yet not seeing, knowing yet not knowing – concepts rooted in Daoist philosophy, symbols and their connotations—directly guide me in this work. Encasing ordinary books and printed material in ink is an act of violence, far from normal. Yet my practice remains intensely personal and introspective. I use the number 8 to allude to China, and 9 to allude to Germany. The problem is there is no fair or reasonable way to view 1989—the confrontation and dialogue between Eastern and Western histories. Thus, I chose the distinction between two modes of viewing: on the street, people see numbers; within the space, they see everything—an artwork that refuses further communication. An alien text encased in solidified black blood.“

(Huang Rui, December 2025)

Huang Rui was born in 1952 in Beijing. He lives and works between Paris (France) and Beijing(China). Founder of the Stars Group (Xing Xing 星星), he played a pivotal role in what was the first public art exhibition of the post-Mao era in China in 1979, considered the pioneering movement of contemporary art. It gave rise to some of the first expressions of artistic freedom and brought together like-minded artists. Since more than 40 years, Huang Rui has strived to express that the function of art is a reflection of society, and one of its missions is to respond to contemporary concerns. It was with this conviction that he initiated the creation of the 798 Art District in Beijing in 2002, which has since become the hub of contemporary art in China. His work - whether painting, sculpture, installation and performance - is deeply rooted in a living, contemporary approach to the principle of Tao (Book of Changes), through an often minimalist aesthetic search, renowned for challenging the political and aesthetic conventions of his era.