WHAT
The M+ Sigg collection surveys the cultural dynamism of contemporary China from the early 1970s to the present. China’s open-door policy of 1978 began an era of profound social and economic change. Cities across the country grew into global commercial centres affecting the everyday lives of millions of people. Amidst China’s rise on the world stage, artists sought to engage in international conversations about art with their contemporaries. Challenging traditional ideas and art practices, they staged their own exhibitions and experimented with new mediums and unconventional styles.

WHY
The exhibition is not only impressive, but truly comprehensive. Exploring how international audiences have come to understand China today, it chronicles the development of Chinese art over four decades, from 1972 to 2012. The M+ Sigg Collection is an extraction from Swiss collector Uli Sigg’s private collection, which has been documenting the development of contemporary art, with a focus on Chinese art, since the early 1990s, and captures the bold generation of artists who defined the contemporary Chinese experience.