Alternative heterosexual relationships

The idea for her photo series Experimental Relationship (since 2007) came to her when she was reflecting on her own relationship: Chinese artist Pixy Liao (*1979) was met with incomprehension by her circle of friends when she introduced her boyfriend, the Japanese Takahiro Morooka. He is five years younger and meets Liao at eye level with his playfulness, instead of fulfilling the role of a conservative older »protector and mentor«, as Liao describes. In the photo series, which is also a document of their partnership, Liao explores alternative constructs of heterosexual relationships. They do not have to be standardized, but are dependent on the individuals and thus form unique constellations. At the same time, Experimental Relationships is an ironic examination of the classic roles of artist and muse. Around 45 works from the series were selected for the exhibition Pixy Liao: Relationship Material. The show, curated by Yechen Zhao, can be seen at the Art Institute of Chicago from July 26 to December 8.

The Shanghai-born artist now lives in New York. In 2012, she launched her ongoing photo series For Your Eyes Only, which complements Experimental Relationship with humorous, erotic everyday photographs. Liao continues to work as an installation and performance artist. She also works with Takahiro Morooka on the music project PIMO; they have released six albums to date. Throughout Liao's oeuvre, there are numerous references to pop culture and art history. In recent years, the artist has held solo exhibitions in the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Canada, among other countries.

Liao's photo book Experimental Relationship Vol.1 2007-2017 was published in 2018 and is considered by many critics to be one of the best photo books of the year.