CHINA WON’T LEND ARTWORKS TO ASIA SOCIETY

China has reversed a decision to lend Asia Society nearly one hundred objects from Chinese museums for an exhibition that focuses on revolutionary Chinese art from the 1950s through the ’70s, scheduled to open on September 5 in Manhattan, the society’s president said. Robin Pogrebin reports in the New York Times_ that the Chinese Ministry of Culture had originally agreed to allow the society to borrow works for the show, “Art and China’s Revolution,” promoted as among the first comprehensive exhibitions devoted to that era and one that will examine the effects of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution on artists and art production in China. The approach of the Olympics seemed to have been the deal breaker. “Initially, they said, ‘Any loans you want; no problem,’” said Vishakha N. Desai, the society’s president. “The closer it got to the Olympics, they changed their policy. It has more to do with China’s desire and aspiration to be seen in a new light. They don’t want to be reminded of a difficult past.” Despite the Chinese government’s decision, Asia Society has decided to proceed with the show by seeking loans from private collectors.