In his early works, Yan Xing often used his own body as a medium. Here he imitated the poses of the models in seven classic photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989). After meticulously adapting the composition and lighting of the original works, he shot seven videos. The capture of the decisive moment in Mapplethorpe's originals is replaced in Yan Xing’s interpretation by a state of freeze. Every slight tremor of his muscles hints at the impossibility of perfection and at the inevitable discrepancy vis-à-vis the original. In his effort to pay tribute to the classics through reproduction and transformation, Yan Xing explores the intersections of video, performance, and photography. His body pays homage both to the original works and to his attempt to challenge the boundaries of different mediums.