At the opening reception of an exhibition at Beijing’s National Art Museum in February 1989, Xiao fired two bullets at her installation. It comprised two telephone booths with photographs of an anonymous male and a female figure, and a red telephone, its handset dangling off the hook: all together, a scene of failed communication. A camera captured Xiao’s confrontation with her work. Officials interpreted her actions as a political protest, and temporarily closed the exhibition.
Gallery label from 2019