Beili Liu Wins 3rd Place in Artprize
The winners of the second annual Artprize were announced on Thursday by founder Rick DeVos — and A&D alumna Beili Liu (MFA 2003) took home the third prize, an award of $50,000, for “Lure/Wave, Grand Rapids” a large installation made from red thread and sewing needles. Artprize is a city-wide art competition held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that lets the public choose the winners of more than $450,000 in total prize money.
The ancient Chinese legend of the red thread tells that when children are born, invisible red threads connect them to the ones whom they are fated to be with. Over the years of their lives they come closer and eventually find each other, overcoming the distance between, and cultural and social divides.
Inspired by this legend, the installation makes use of thousands of hand spiraled coils of red thread suspended from the ceiling of the gallery. A disk may be connected to another, as a “couple”, and each pair is made from a single thread. Every coil is pierced in the center by a sewing needle, which enables the suspension of the disks from the ceiling.
Liu’s work also made news yesterday when, inspired by Lure/Wave (and with special permission of the artist), an area man brought his girlfriend into the installation and proposed to her while surrounded by Liu’s “couples”: Couple’s engagement at ArtPrize is a work of art | MLive.com
More Information:
‘Cavalry’ drawing is ArtPrize winner | freep.com
Photo Essay — ArtPrize Artist Beili Liu
Beili Liu Studio