String occupies an interesting niche in the collective psyche. From the strings the Fates spun linking the ancient Greeks to their future lives, to the thin red thread connecting destined lovers in China, a string's uses are myriad, and different cultures use it as a metaphor for connections, captivity, fate and creation. In "The Same," Lin Tianmiao takes this simple medium and uses it in ways evoking meanings left for the viewer to untangle.

Winding thin silk threads around the bones of animals and people—one assumes they are models of bones and not the real thing—she creates beautiful objects out of the leftovers of a life. Some bones she fuses with tools, like the neck of a hammer with the skull of a small animal, others she mounts on silk canvases for a 3-D effect, and others she plates in gold-colored metal, mounting them on thick velvet cushions that completely cover the main exhibition space. The result is like a marching parade of animal skeletons, frozen in a golden conga line along the walls.

Wrapping threads around objects changes the impact—it's hard to be freaked out by a human skull when it's covered in such beautiful material, even though the viewer is still aware on some level of what lies underneath all the pretty layers. Much of Lin Tianmiao's work centers on winding threads around objects until they are covered completely—neutralizing previous functions, and holding them captive. In her 1997 work "Bound unbound 2" she wrestled with the roles of women in the home by spinning sheaths around a host of daily objects such as spoons, plates and thermoses.

Lin Tianmiao is a prominent contemporary artist, and her works hang in a number of influential collections—including MoMA's The Collection in NYC. "The Same" is not only a chance to see some of her new works, but some of her older works as well. On the upper floor of BCA is an exhibit of some of her paintings from the "Focus" series, which detail a face in various stages of opacity peering out from the canvas. Altogether "The Same" is a fascinating view of pieces from an extraordinarily talented artist.

DETAILS

What: Lin Tianmiao's The Same

Where: Beijing Center for the Arts

When: through Feb. 26

Web: www.chienmian23.com