Cognitive Shape is the first film of Guan utilizing triptych format, weaving various materials selected from her image bank into a video essay. The artist has made herself acting as an indexical figure to narrate the cognitive process of seeing. In the video, there are lithic and technological objects descending in a row, or the fatalistic image of snake feeding vis-à-vis clinical image of MRI scanning, explained with artist’s didactic tone, wearing a futuristic outfit. In such way, it seems that even contemporary utilities are infused with the pre-historical totem-liked aura. While her voice speculates on the cognitive condition with and without the conception of language, viewers would find her in later sequences testing her previous conclusion with her verbal interpretation, luring the audiences to view in the way she suggests.

《認知的形狀》是關小第一次使用三屏錄像的方式進行創作。藝術家使用大量的影像素材編織出這個錄像散文式的作品。她甚至將自己也置於其中，通過表演與解說，描述抽象的認知過程。藝術家將認知這一過程的不確定性，反复性通過感覺知覺思維，以及視覺上的重組排列呈現出來。
作品第一部分，從石器、現代用品、電子儀器、古遺跡和端著閃光燈的古羅馬雕塑引出標題，新的圖騰伴隨著藝術家不帶情感的語調從觀感到思考再到認知。而後，藝術家以石頭為主體，通過假設幾種觀看的實踐方式，引出之後的思考過程，試著透過演說邀請觀眾改變其觀看方式，並思考：若沒有語言這一媒介，以直觀認識事物的情況是什麼？

Guan Xiao (b. 1983) lives and works in Beijing. Her practice focuses primarily on sculpture, video, and installation. Combining a wide array of visual references, Guan Xiao continuously reinvents her biographical details such as identity, personal history, geographical background and the experience of her daily life by inscribing them into her exuberant works. Guan Xiao takes her sculpture and installations as virtual characters or “species” which she imbues with a new, literalized identity. The artist attempts to emphasize the importance of difference by creating purposeful contradictions between the materiality and the concept.

Guan Xiao graduated from the Communication University of China and has exhibited internationally. Her work has been featured at MUDAM (2021); the 34th Bienial de Sao Paulo (2021); Belgrade Biennial (2021); Antenna Space, Shanghai (solo; 2020); Skulpturenpark Cologne (2020); X Museum Triennial (2020); Kunstmuseum Sankt Gallen (2020); Sharjah Art Foundation (2020); Bonner Kunstverein (solo; 2019); Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis (solo; 2019); Fellbach Triennial, Fellbach (2019); Honolulu Biennial (2019); Migros Museum, Zürich (2019); Anyang Public Art Project, Anyang (2019); Kunsthalle Winterthur (solo; 2018); High Line, New York (2017); the 57th Venice Biennale, Venice (2017); Julia Stoschek Collection, Berlin (2017); M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp (2017); 9th Berlin Biennale, Berlin (2016); Jeu de Paume, Paris (solo; 2016); the K11 Art Foundation, Shanghai (2016, solo); ICA, London (solo; 2016); ZKM, Karlsruhe (2016); Shortlist for Hugo Boss Asia Art Award at Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai (2015); the 13th Biennale de Lyon: La vie modern, Lyon (2015); Antenna Space, Shanghai (solo; 2015); 2015 Triennial: Surround Audience, New Museum, New York (2015); Daimler Contemporary Berlin (2015); Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Vienna (2015); M HKA Museum, Antwerp (2014); Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, Berlin (solo; 2014); 7th Shenzhen Sculpture Biennale, OCT Contemporary Art Terminal, Shenzhen (2012) and National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul (2007).

Her work is in the collections of Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Kunstmuseum St. Gallen; Boros Collection, Berlin; Daimler Collection, Stuttgart; Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin; Julia Stoschek Collection, Düsseldorf; Rubell Family Collection, Miami among others.