The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China brings together works by Chinese contemporary artists from the past four decades in which conscious material choice has become a symbol of the artists’ expression. Their media range from the commonplace to the unconventional, the natural to the synthetic, the elemental to the composite: from plastic, water, and wood, to hair, tobacco, and Coca-Cola. Throughout the run of the exhibition, we will be highlighting individual artists and artworks from the show.

On the basis of appearance alone, it can be difficult to spot the Coca-Cola hidden in The Allure of Matter. This is because artist He Xiangyu (b. 1986) has physically and chemically altered the material to the point where it is no longer recognizable. Over the course of a year, he reports to have boiled down a total of 127 tons of Coca-Cola into black cola ash, presented today in LACMA’s galleries. His four-year project, Cola Project, consists of a number of different experiments between the artist and his signature material, including sketches, installations, sculptures, and (cola) ink paintings. A Barrel of Dregs of Coca-Cola (2009), included in The Allure of Matter, came to LACMA as just that—a barrel full of the remnants of He’s boiled-down Coca-Cola, assembled and presented in a large metal and glass vitrine. Although the Coca-Cola that went into He’s work now looks nothing like the bottled soda, a faint sugary smell remains, revealing its otherwise concealed composition.

The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China is on view in BCAM through January 5, 2020.