Coal Spell is remarkable for the sincerity of concern brought to its subject matter: childhood recollections of coal mining in northern China around Sun Xun ˉs home town, and the adult realisation of the destructive side-effects of the job, the process, and the fuel itself. The execution is remarkable. Coal Spell takes its cue from the old five Yuan (Chinese currency) note, which carries an image of a coal plant that is highly incongruous against the decorative elements of what is a very pretty note. The animation was created on the walls of Platform China ˉs project space in Beijing ˉs 798 Art Zone, using every single inch of space for the work, which included a huge physical installation as part of the final display. Although the images and sequences in this work are particularly strong, they are further enriched still by the physical installation: the presence of several tons of coal, its odour mingling with the aroma of oil paint to convey a perfect emotional pulse. In one poignant scene Sun Xun depicts a row of smoke stacks belching black vapours against the sky, hailed as they do by the stone statue immediately recognisable as the figure of Mao, who once proclaimed from Tiananmen Square that he looked forward to seeing nothing but chimney stacks as far as the eye could see. A terrifying naivety, but Sun Xun makes us realise that Mao is not the only leader to have misguided thoughts about how best to benefit to the nation he serves.