Wang Bing studied photography at the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Art and cinematography at Beijing Film Academy. He debuted as an independent director in 1999 with his 9 hours epic documentary of industrial China: West of the Tracks (Tie Xi Qu). Besides feature documentary as Three Sisters (San zimei) and Madness (Fengai), he is also active in video installation as Crude Oil (Yuanyo), a 14-hour film, and directed several fiction as The Ditch (Jiabiangou), and started a noteworthy work in photography.
Acclaimed by critics and recognized as one of the most important Chinese artists, documentary makers and film directors of his time, he has been honored by retrospectives of his entire work in major museum, such as Centre Pompidou in Paris (2014) and the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique in Brussels (2014). Wang Bing’s work has been selected for major international film festivals, including Cannes Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival and International Film Festival Rotterdam. Several of his films have been recognised with international awards, including the “Golden Leopard” award at the 70th Locarno Film Festival, the award for Best Film in “Orizzonti” at the 69th Venice International Film Festival for Three Sisters (2012), Prize-winner, La Résidence, Cinéfondation of Cannes Film Festival (2004), French National Order of Merit (Légion d’honneur) (2006). In 2016, Wang Bing had a solo exhibition “Wang Bing: Three Portraits” at CCA Wattis Institute, San Francisco. In 2017, Wang Bing was rewarded 2017 EYE Art and Film Prize in Netherlands and participated in Documenta 14 in Athens, Greece and Kassel, Germany.
