MAM Shanghai has an impressive lineup of exhibitions scheduled for 2024, featuring works from renowned artists such as David Hockney, Marina Abramović, Robyn Ward, and contemporary Chinese artists. The Modern Art Museum aims to inspire and educate its visitors through its diverse calendar. In the Chinese calendar, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, the mythical creature symbolising strength and good fortune. MAM Shanghai’s upcoming programme perfectly embodies these qualities.
Showcasing globally renowned icons such as David Hockney, Marina Abramović, and Robyn Ward, as well as a selection of eminent Chinese artists, MAM Shanghai is poised to become a premier hotspot for art enthusiasts globally. The museum will feature a diverse range of exhibits, from engaging, hands-on sculptures to captivating paintings, enveloping installations, and cutting-edge Chinese contemporary art. The upcoming exhibitions at MAM Shanghai promise to broaden our comprehension of the contemporary era, provoke thought about our perception of the world, and provide novel experiences and viewpoints.
The 2024 program is set to kick off in March with the opening of Walking in the Dark, the first exhibition of contemporary Irish artist Robyn Ward in China. The immersive solo show, which has already received critical acclaim in New York and London, showcases abstract paintings and freestanding sculptures inspired by Ward’s own nomadic lifestyle, driven by a need for both escapism and avoidance. Walking in the Dark raises questions such as “Why do people wander?” and “What are the consequences of constant movement?”
Ward’s exhibition will be on display at MAM Shanghai until May 2024. The following month, in June 2024, the highly anticipated and biggest-ever exhibition of David Hockney’s prints, titled “Paper Trails”. Hockney is renowned for his unique approach to printmaking, which mirrors the vibrancy and meticulous indexing seen in his wider body of work. The pieces showcased in this exhibition highlight Hockney’s continuous dedication to capturing and indexing his life through intimate portraiture and snapshots from his daily routine.
“With a global and multidisciplinary approach, MAM contributes to the education, knowledge, and enjoyment of art, its values, and message through the presentation of exhibitions and programming of extraordinary quality in an immersive and engaging experience. In keeping with our mission, the 2024 exhibitions will be intriguing explorations in contemporary art and design,” said Shai Baitel, MAM Shanghai’s Artistic Director.
From September 2024 through January 2025, MAM Shanghai is set to showcase the groundbreaking Chinese museum debut of Marina Abramović, a trailblazer in conceptual and performance art, with her series “Transforming Energy.” Hailing from Serbia, Abramović has been a seminal figure in performance art for over five decades, bringing the post-war European avant-garde into the limelight through her unwavering commitment and endurance in her artistry.
“Transforming Energy” draws inspiration from one of Abramović’s most renowned performances – her monumental journey across the Great Wall of China alongside German artist Ulay in 1988. The series emphasizes interactive and immersive sculptures, utilizing materials like quartz, amethyst, tourmaline, copper, iron, and wood. Abramović’s exhibition encourages visitors to engage directly with her creations, experiencing and absorbing their energy as a conduit to an elevated, meditative state of awareness.
MAM Shanghai’s 2024 programme begins in March with Robyn Ward’s Walking in the Dark exhibition.
©2024 MAM Shanghai
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