Fondation Louis Vuitton unveiled its plans to dedicate much of its capacity this year to the exciting Chinese contemporary art scene with a new exhibition and art collection.
The first stage is the exhibition (27 January – April 2016); Bentu, Chinese artists in a time of turbulence and transformation. Bentu translated literally means ‘The Native Soil’, however in contemporary Chinese art this term does not connote nationalism but represents a dialectical concept that aims to reconcile the “local” and the “global” in a universalist and critical rediscovery of identity.
The exhibition brings together 12 artists of different generations who live on mainland China. Using a wide variety of techniques and media, drawn from both local tradition and culture, as well as newer cutting edge technologies.
The second stage is the new hang of the collection (27 January – 5 September 2016), presenting works by 11 artists from the Collection of Fondation Louis Vuitton. The collection features works such as Tree by Ai Weiwei, works by Huang Yong Ping and the head of Buddha by Zhang Huan.
Opening in 2014, the Fondation Louis Vuitton, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry has already housed works by acclaimed artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gilbert & George and Jeff Koons. For site-specific installations, the Fondation has commissioned works by Ellsworth Kelly, Olafur Eliasson, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller to name but a few.
For more information on the Bentu, Chinese artists in a time of turbulence and transformation please visit: