Xu Bing gave a lecture titled “What Counts as Art Today?” at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art, Changgang Campus on December 9, 2019.

This lecture was hosted by the Institute for Advanced Studies of Images and History. Xu Bing presented his rarely seen manuscripts to the students of GAFA. Initially, Xu Bing delved into the concept of "Today" in detail. He asserted that due to the swift progress of science and technology, traditional art fails to meet the spiritual standards or convey the meaning of contemporary art. He argued that the artists of "today" should comprehend the current social context and reconstitute the language of art. Following this, Xu Bing employed a variety of artworks as case studies, such as Where Does the Dust Itself Collect? and Book from the Ground, to illustrate his thought process. He stressed that art is an effective expression of art's own language, not a superficial exhibition of challenging philosophical theories or technological methods.