Wang Nanming appointed as new Director

Shanghai Himalayas Museum is pleased to announce that Wang Nanming has been appointed as the new director of the museum.

Wang Nanming, born in 1962, is an independent curator and artist in Shanghai. Regarded as one of the most influential critics in the field of Chinese contemporary art, he is a crucial advocate of “avant-garde,” “post-avant-garde” and “metavant-garde” within a Chinese context.    

Breaking boundaries in contemporary art and advocating for art practices that challenge conventions, Wang extends the definition of an exhibition from being purely aesthetic to a social-interactive space, and transforms the museum into a forum for critical debate on social issues. Since early 2000, his critique has focused primarily on the most provocative and contentious performance art, installation and photography, through which he elaborates on the shift of contemporary art in China from the manifestation of aesthetics to sociopolitical commentaries, and the commitment to reinforce an in-depth understanding of Chinese contemporary art across the globe.

As a leading figure exploring in the field of crossdisciplinary practices and studies, Wang is determined to implement innovative programming and operational plans to construct future directions of Shanghai Himalayas Museums. This includes the re-examination of the ideological context between contemporary art and traditional art; initiating “Young Thinker Residency” programme to encourage self-reflexivity amongst a new generation; strengthening the museum’s interaction with public thought and opinion; expanding collaborations with higher education organisations; re-establishing the museum’s implicitly public nature and abolishing the position of in-house curator in order to bring in multiple voices to generate an organic and research-led programme by working with independent curators, critics and researchers from various backgrounds.

In the late 1990s, Wang actively took part in HK Commune and the development of Artists’ Studios, and organized numerous exhibitions during the movement. Between 2007–09, he was the editor-in-chief of the art magazines Art Focus and Art Time, setting up new directions in art criticism and evoking dynamic discussions in the Chinese art scene. He was also professor in Art System and Law at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, establishing new courses for the institute and nurturing a young generation of critics in China during his tenure there. Since 2015, Wang has initiated and co-curated (with Sophia Yadong Hao, Cooper Gallery, University of Dundee) the four-phase exhibition programme “CURRENT: Contemporary Art from Scotland,” the first major presentation of contemporary art from Scotland in China.

Wang is the author of numerous publications including Understanding Modern Calligraphy: Artistic Transformation of Modern and Avant-Garde, Art Must Die: from Chinese Painting to Modern Ink Painting, After Concept: Art and Criticism, The Rise of Critical Art: Chinese Problem Situations and Theories of Liberal Society, Modern Art and Avant-garde: Interface of Clement Greenberg’s Critical Theory, Art, System and Legislation: China’s International Exchange, A Post-colonial Honor: The Chinese-ness of Art and the Chinese identity of Artists and Obstacles of Calligraphy: Neo-classical Calligraphy, Popular Calligraphic Style, Modern Calligraphy and other Issues.

As an artist, Wang’s notable works including Calligraphy Balls, Tayin Drought and Taihu Lake are in the collections of the British Museum, Annie Wong Art Foundation and National Art Museum of China.