Artist Xu Zhen reinvents the Lady Dior: invitation to discover his unique imagination revisiting the spirit of this iconic object of desire

Welcome to the Dior Talks podcast series dedicated to the eighth edition of Dior Lady Art, hosted by Paris-based journalist Katya Foreman. For this highly-anticipated edition, 12 artists from around the world were invited to transform the iconic Lady Dior handbag into a unique piece of art. 

With his 360-degree vision of the art world, as a gallerist and curator, our latest guest, the renowned Chinese contemporary artist Xu Zhen, combines installation, video, painting and performance in a singular, inventive universe that explores subjects ranging from socio-political taboos to consumerism and the principles of the art market. The artist’s fascinating works subvert – not without irony – notions of artisanship and originality (relative to mass production), as well as concepts of ownership and globalization in the digital age. He thwarts and questions their effects on the art market, making visible certain dissonances and the resulting absence of logic. 

For Dior, the conceptual artist, who has exhibited at a number of prestigious art institutions and biennales internationally, including the Venice Biennale, MoMA PS1 in New York and the Hayward Gallery in London, wanted to reflect on the value and meaning of discourse. Inspired by his “Metal Language” series – and made of transparent plexiglass and mirror-effect printed fabric – his two versions of the Lady Dior are adorned with golden and silver phrases and exclamations applied on a reflective surface to evoke a screen. The words are edged with gold and silver chains, like speech bubbles, serving as symbols of the emptiness of a language

that no longer has any real functionality.

Tune in to the episode to learn more about the artist’s playful and thought-provoking concept behind the bags.

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