Zhang Xiaogang’s work Stage No. 2: Bathtub is currently presented in the exhibition XSWL at the White Rabbit Gallery, Sydney. The exhibition is curated by David Williams.

“China’s digital age is a vibrant playground of internet memes, virtual WeChat stickers, puns, and catchphrases. In this rapidly shifting process, many phrases are shortened into acronyms. The Chinese internet slang ‘XSWL’ is an abbreviation of xiaosile (‘laughing myself to death’). It is closer in tone and intensity to ‘laughing my ass off’ than to the milder ‘LOL’; beneath its seemingly lighthearted expression, it may also carry deeper implications…”