This exhibition is grounded in a shared desire to celebrate the relationship between two countries. To bring this to fruition, curators in Beijing and Washington, DC worked closely to tell a story about China that would be understood and appreciated by an American audience. This required mutual understanding and the establishment of common goals that transcended national and cultural boundaries.
The project began in the spring of 2008 when Fan Di’an, Director of the National Art Museum of China in Beijing (NAMOC), visited the United States with a delegation of Chinese art professionals. Washington, DC was one of the stops along their itinerary and we enjoyed a reunion at Meridian International Center – celebrating past experiences with his museum and other institutions in China, while also discussing the possibility of future collaborations.
At this gathering, we talked with officials of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China about the upcoming 30th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between our countries. The discussion centered on ways in which this occasion might be observed. Given Meridian’s emphasis on Art for Cultural Diplomacy and based on our longstanding experience in organizing artistic projects with China, we decided that an exhibition, reinforced by a visit of Chinese artists and curators to the United States, would be an ideal way to accomplish this.
Various themes were considered in the weeks that followed including an exhibit on the impact of urbanization and globalization in China and the responses of Chinese artists to these phenomena. NAMOC shared images of works they thought might be included which were visually compelling, innovative, and thought provoking. Some addressed the rapid transfiguration of cities, while others pointed to unprecedented lifestyle changes and highlighted growing differences between generations. Many alluded to new concepts and ideas – often disseminated through the internet and other technologies – that have impacted a society which largely opened its doors to the world only thirty years ago.
The world’s attention was soon captured by the Beijing Olympics which showcased the extraordinary growth of China’s urban centers. Like people in other nations, many Americans wondered about the impact of such epic changes on the country’s future. Clearly, an art exhibition addressing this theme would be of great interest to an audience in the United States.
We agreed with our partners at NAMOC that selections would be made together. Consequently, I traveled to China, along with Meridian’s Director of Exhibitions, to work closely with Fan Di’an and his talented staff. Our visit coincided with the ShContemporary art fair, the Biennale, and an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai which permitted us to view many excellent examples of new Chinese art.
We attended art openings, met other professionals in the art field, and were impressed by the vibrant and cosmopolitan atmosphere of this city in transition. We spoke with gallery owners and artists, looked at countless artworks, and photographed images we felt would best tell the story of globalization and urbanization to an American audience. Upon returning to Beijing we met with Fan Di’an and his colleagues to share our findings. Subsequent talks made it clear there was a shared vision for the exhibit.
The art scene we encountered in our work in Beijing was equally compelling. We visited artists’ studios – often located in art colonies outside the city – and explored galleries in the capital’s 798 Art Zone and elsewhere. We interviewed artists, spoke candidly about their work and, at the end of long days, shared meals with some of them and told our respective stories. The selection process with our Chinese partners was marked by a synergy and mutual respect that soon gave way to friendship. Thoughtful discussions with Fan Di’an resulted in a growing list of potential works for the exhibition.
Our greatest challenge was the realization that Chinese artworks, often several meters in height or length and created with a mind to illuminate new, large museums and galleries emerging throughout the country, were ill-suited for Meridian’s exhibition space – located in a historic 1911 mansion. Some did not fit in our gallery and on numerous occasions it appeared that we would be compelled to make new selections. To avoid this, Fan Di’an suggested that we commission art to fit the walls. This ambitious and innovative solution allowed us to achieve our goals. The resulting juxtaposition of new artworks in a neo-classical setting provides a dramatic environment for this groundbreaking display of contemporary Chinese sculpture, video, photography, mixed media, and painting.
Some artists represented in Metropolis Now! share their visions of China’s changing urban landscape and the impact of global trends by employing traditional and modern materials. Liu Jianhua’s Reflection, a series of ceramic panels depicting a stylized skyline, echoes the long history of excellence among Chinese working in this medium. Wang Xiaohui’s Self Portraits: My Last 100 Years, a multi-panel screen containing photographs, and Wang Mingxian’s Bird’s Nest tell contemporary stories in ways that also blend with the past.
Weng Fen’s Bird’s Eye View – New Beijing depicts schoolgirls dwarfed by the enormity of new construction while looking at the horizon – perhaps toward their own future. Liu Ye’s paintings portraying people with suitcases can be perceived as an allusion to the migration of workers into the country’s cities. Spiderman 2 by Wei Qingji offers insight into China’s fascination with world cinema, and He Wenjue’s artwork brings this closer to home by featuring a Chinese film.
Chen Wenbo’s works express the artist’s – and China’s – interest in car culture and material goods. His depictions of keys, headlights, road signs, and even sunglasses point to a population that may soon become the world’s largest user of automobiles. Paintings by Han Yajuan and He Sen focus on popular culture and changing lifestyles. Large canvases by THEY Group combine symbols of old and new and point to a society in transition.
Some Chinese artists react to their surroundings by portraying objective realities, while others focus on fanciful impressions that mirror everyday experiences. Works such as Liu Ren’s Sleepwalker – Temple of Heaven or Chen Hongzhi’s installations in fiberglass and mixed media suggest a peaceful imaginary universe in the midst of the clamor and din that so often characterizes China’s growing cities.
In the months following our departure from China, NAMOC and Meridian were in regular contact, working out details and making certain that our plan, created with such care in Beijing, would result in the exhibition now on view in Washington, DC. We were aided in these efforts by the committed staff of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, among them Shu Xiao, Minister Counselor for Cultural Affairs, and his colleagues. And we are especially grateful to H.E. Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong for his welcome and meaningful support.
In addition to Fan Di’an, our partners at NAMOC included Liu Chunfeng, the curator who accompanied us on our travels in Beijing and Shanghai and worked closely with us to complete the project, as well as Han Shuying, Guo Yurong, and Wei Feng. There was invaluable aid from Xiang Xiaowei at the Ministry of Culture.
Despite differences in language, culture, history, and social systems, and the challenging global economic situation, our shared respect for art brought us together as partners in an exciting and rewarding enterprise. The process succeeded in underscoring the friendship between our two countries while also creating a cordial relationship and the basis for future partnerships. This was cultural diplomacy at its finest.
I wish to thank my colleagues at Meridian International Center for their commitment to this project. The Arts Division’s Terry Harvey deserves special recognition for his work in China and Washington, DC to help create the exhibit. The assistance of Mariano Oreamuno and Erica Buentello also was invaluable. For all of us at Meridian, Metropolis Now! expresses our shared dedication to building bridges with other countries and cultures.
Please enjoy the exhibition.
Curtis Sandberg, Ph.D.
Vice President for the Arts
Meridian International Center
Washington, DC