FOR many, curating is a job that needs strong ties with the artists, a solid grasp of art history, an ability to foresee art trends and the expertise to produce academic writing.

On top of that, the top curators in China are mostly males.

Except Xiang Liping, a young woman who has broken into the male-dominated world, after more than a decade learning the skills of the trade.

As the associate curator of 2016 Singapore Biennale, Xiang set up a parallel project for the Singapore Biennale in Suzhou called “I.” It is a combination of music, video, performance and installation art piece.

It is showcased in the exhibition and performance hall on the third floor of the Eslite Spectrum in Suzhou, the hottest landmark near Jinji Lake. The project even caught the eye of such big names as Tan Dun, a famous Chinese composer.

Born in 1976 in Cangnan, Zhejiang Province, Xiang studied art history at the Chinese Art Academy in Hangzhou from 1995 to 1999. In 2006, she joined the Shanghai Biennale team, and rose to become the assistant curator for 2008 Shanghai Biennale.

Since 2013, she has been the Head of the Exhibition Department of Power Station of Art.

“I can’t remember how many exhibitions I have seen at the Shanghai Art Museum and Power Station of Art, having worked for both,” Xiang said.

“Different from visitors, I had to focus to see how these exhibitions were formed and presented. This is such a great experience, something that can’t be felt elsewhere.”

Currently a Ph.D. candidate at the China Academy of Art, Xiang curated a series of exhibitions including “The End of the Brush and Ink Era: Chinese Landscape (2011)” and “New Ink of 2012 Sh Contemporary.”

“But there’s still a lot to learn as a curator,” she said.

Can you share some details for the project “I” at Eslite Spectrum?

A: The theme of 2016 Singapore Biennale is “An Atlas of Mirrors,” and the project “I” in Suzhou mirrors the Singapore biennale. “I” investigates the relationship between man and the world, human exploration and discovery of the world on three levels: “No me, hence no world,” “Me, hence world,” and “Non-me, hence non-world.” The artworks combine installation, music, performance and moving-image. Taking in the five elements in Chinese tradition — metal, wood, water, fire and earth — it makes music with daily objects that correspond to these elements.

There are many musical instruments. Are they inspired by the ancient Chinese models?

A: No. While searching for sound-making objects (non-professional musical instruments), the musicians returned to the origin of music and art. Music originated from an accidental touching of things in daily life. For example, the discarded steel from the oil tanks of ships, the Wa ethnic people’s holy wooden drum that was said to converse with the gods, and the pieces of ancient china and everyday ceramic containers that represent “metal,” “wood” and “earth.” Of course, we also used flute and cello. Once a beautiful sound is made, it is repeated and modified from a simple sound to complex expressions, and eventually to what we consider today to be music. Music and art, although processed and refined, are nothing more than one surface of the multi-surfaced prism that reflects human life.

As the instruments are placed in different locations in the space, the performer is required to walk from one instrument to another within a fixed period of time, causing body language to become part of the performance. Their body language manifests a natural movement, thus becoming a dialogue between different “I” and the external world. The placement of these instruments also creates a contemporary art installation.

What kind of feeling do you expect from the visitors?

A: I want to help the visitors track the origin of music. In fact, music comes from an accidental hitting on a daily object, but after refining and modifying, from simple to complicated, it finally becomes music that we all know. The project just helps to remind us that we are actually surrounded with art and music in life. All we need to do is to discover and feel.

There are only a few female curators in Chinese contemporary art. What do you think is the advantage and disadvantage of being a female curator?

A: People around me focus more about the academic and artistic side of the exhibition and its result. I don’t think that the difference in sex really matters.

You began your curating career with Shanghai Biennale. How did you benefit from it?

A: I benefitted a lot while working with the Shanghai Biennale team. It gave me the opportunity to work with top curators, experts and scholars, both from home and abroad. It widened my views and accumulated abundant experience. I know a good curator is not only expected to excel academically but must also be able to communicate and coordinate. What’s more, he or she must have a good understanding for budget control, exhibition space and material, and most important of all, know how to present an exhibition in an interesting manner.

Each curator has his or her strong point; some would even create a special art trend. What’s your strong point?

A: I majored in art history so I prefer to observe some phenomenon with an historical angle. At Shanghai Biennale, I found that contemporary Chinese ink-wash painting was missing at the biennale, or was simply used as a decorative piece. Since 2011, I began to study the transition of contemporary Chinese ink-wash painting. I came up with an essay titled “New Objects: The End of the Brush and Ink Era” that was selected for the CIHA2012 Congress. Another subject that I focused is the relationships between: replication and innovation, originality; new technologies, new materials and artistic creation; and intellectual property laws, knowledge sharing, and forwarding general knowledge. The idea was to reveal the distinctions between Chinese appropriation art and its Western variant.

It is widely known the workload of a curator is huge. How do you balance your work and your family?

A: I can’t bear that the working procedure is delayed due to my private life, because I can’t afford the consequences. Yet I can afford the consequence and responsibility of my family. So work is always my priority. Sometimes I would sooth my daughter to sleep at first, and get up at midnight to work again.

As a curator, what’s your biggest achievement?

A: The final exhibition is a balance to realize your thoughts, your ambition, your ideal and teamwork. It is also a balance of budget, efforts and time. Looking back at the details, the thinking, and even the compromise made to create something concrete, the feeling is one of joy. Other emotions are difficult to describe except that it is a meaningful process.

Project “I”

Date: Through February 12, 10am-9pm

On-site performance: 3:30pm-4:30pm, 6:30pm-7:30pm (Every Saturday and Sunday, close for January 28 and 29)

Venue: Eslite Specturm