A courier doing make up at the 'Dial 62761332' in 2004.

The interactive performance Donation was delivered on the occasion of 'Dial 62761232', or 'Courier Show' in 2004, an exhibition that played with the concept of 'delivery'. Being one of the participating artists, Liu Jianhua was asked to produce a portable work to be delivered alongside with all other submitted artworks, to whoever dialled the number 62761232 in Shanghai. The idea was to bring the 'exhibition' to the locals.

'The work for the ['Courier Show'] is a personal experiment in arts. The unique theme of the exhibition makes me ponder [over] the present meaning of artists and their works with a brand-new perspective: Why do we engage in artworks today? Is there an interactive relationship between artworks and the [public]? [Is collecting and displaying the only goal for artwork-production?] The artwork Donation is based upon actual behavioural interaction. We found the [subject matter] with the help of the Shanghai Charity Federation. When I saw the girl’s (the subject) profile for the first time, I genuinely wanted to help her. I hope to investigate in this exhibition how people will react to this familiar and yet strange scene when I show my work in front of them. Although we did not receive a lot of funds, the interactive relationship that I have initially hoped for has been demonstrated thoroughly. This is exactly what I have imagined when I created this work in the first place.' (Text given by Liu Jianhua to Asia Art Archive in 2013)