New York, New York – Art21 is proud to announce the premiere of “Song Dong: 生 / Shēng” on October 26 at 12:00 PM ET. The fourth 2022 release of Art21’s digital film series, Extended Play, “Song Dong: 生 / Shēng” offers a look into the work and creative process of the Beijing-based artist.

“What is 生 Shēng?” asks Song Dong. “It’s a continuously developing and growing state.” The impermanence of life is held at bay by the power of memory and our relationships to others, a truth explored throughout Song Dong’s body of work. Entwining art and life, absence and recollection, parent and child, the artist bridges the gap between the present and what has passed, allowing us to forge new paths and relations in the future.

“Song Dong makes no distinction between his life and his art,” says Andrea Chung, Art21 Associate Producer. “What a privilege it is to dive into the archives, work with footage of Song and his family— thoughtfully captured by filmmakers Bryan Chang and Vicky Du—and tell the stories about how some of Song’s most intimate relationships shape his life and work.”

Tune in to the premiere of Song Dong: 生 / Shēng on October 26, 2022 at 12PM ET at Art21.org and on Art21’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/art21org. To learn more, email Art21 Manager of Communications, Hannah DeGarmo, at [email protected].

About Extended Play

Art21’s Extended Play digital series provides unmediated, behind-the-scenes access to today’s leading artists. Through process-revealing footage and intimate interviews, these curatorially-driven films chronicle a diverse scale of international projects, ranging from major commissions to exploratory sketches. Produced in close collaboration with artists, Extended Play uncovers the provocative ideas, timely cultural influences, and biographical anecdotes that inspire the artists featured throughout the series.

About Art21

Art21 is a celebrated global leader in presenting thought-provoking and sophisticated content about contemporary art, and the go-to place to learn first-hand from the artists of our time. A nonprofit organization, Art21’s mission is to inspire a more creative world through the works and words of contemporary artists. Learn more at Art21.org.