Rauschenberg in China

Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) is proud to present Rauschenberg in China. On view in UCCA’s Great Hall from June 12 to August 21, 2016, the exhibition centers on Robert Rauschenberg’s (1925–2008) magnum opus The 1/4 Mile or 2 Furlong Piece (1981–98), its 190 parts stretching 305 meters and exhibited for the first time since 2000. Often read as a self-contained retrospective, The 1/4 Mile reflects major themes from throughout Rauschenberg’s oeuvre, ranging from his “White Paintings,” “Combines,” “Cardboards,” and “Gluts” to collages composed with found images as well as the artist’s own documentary photographs. Also included in the exhibition are a selection of Rauschenberg’s color photographs titled Study for Chinese Summerhall, taken during the artist’s travels in China in 1982. Outfitted with a Hasselblad camera, Rauschenberg recorded scenes of daily life in early Reform-era China, captured through his sharp eye for composition and unique sensitivity toward beauty in the mundane, and relating to elements of urban environments and landscapes that had frequently appeared in photographs made throughout his career.

Accompanying these works is a collection of documentation and ephemera related to his transformational 1985 exhibition ROCI CHINA at the institution now known as the National Art Museum of China, offering a rare glimpse into the historical moment when the artist’s global quest for inspiration and cultural exchange through art put him in front of an emerging generation of Chinese artists, during a period that would later come to be known as the “’85 New Wave.” Organized in collaboration with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and curated by Susan Davidson and David White, Rauschenberg in China is the first major exhibition in over three decades to showcase the artist’s work to Chinese audiences.

“We are thrilled to revisit Rauschenberg’s unique position in China’s contemporary art history through a substantive presentation of a major work which was created at exactly the moment of this encounter,” notes UCCA Director Philip Tinari. “It is particularly exciting to be opening our exhibition in the same year as a major Rauschenberg retrospective, and thus to be participating in a worldwide reassessment of Rauschenberg’s multifaceted, global legacy. We hope that this exhibition will illustrate not only how Rauschenberg inspired China, but how China inspired him.”

The exhibition is accompanied by a slate of public programs including interviews with Chinese artists and thinkers about the artist’s impact on the Chinese art scene of the 1980s. The bilingual catalogue Rauschenberg in China, designed by Hubert & Fischer, includes a foreword by UCCA Director Philip Tinari and an introduction by exhibition curators Susan Davidson and David White in addition to focused essays by art historian Hiroko Ikegami, UCCA assistant curator Felicia Chen, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation curators Julia Blaut and Helen Hsu, and research assistant Jennifer Sarathy. It marks the first time that The 1/4 Mile or 2 Furlong Piece has been reproduced in full.

Rauschenberg in China has been made possible with the generous support of Tiffany & Co. The bilingual catalogue Rauschenberg in China and public programs for the exhibition are generously supported by Shanghai Artemis Art Center, founded by ANXIN TRUST Co., Ltd. Further major support for public programs is provided by King & Wood Mallesons Art Space, founded by Wang Junfeng and Handel Lee, with additional support from Frank F. Yang Art & Education Foundation. Additional support for educational programs is provided by James Qin and Lily Liu. Lighting technology support comes from Hongri Lighting. Green View Club provided support for framing. Promotional videos for the exhibition are co-produced by UCCA and Lead Film Media Partner Action Media. Audio guide is supported by VART. XiaoGe Entertainment and Gewara is the ticket marketing partner. DIDI Premium is the exclusive transportation partner.