“Meditations in an Emergency” emerges in the wake of the pandemic which has created the first truly global moment of the twenty-first century. The exhibition looks to art as a source of solace, reflection, and solidarity in a time of crisis, offering viewers the chance to find comfort and joy in the familiar experience of visiting a museum, while also reflecting upon the experience we have all shared, the fascinating complexity of our planet, and the common challenges faced by all humanity.
The exhibition takes its title from an anthology of poetry by Frank O’Hara (1926–66), better known during his short life as a curator at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. As O’Hara wrote in one of the included poems, “In times of crisis, we must all decide again and again whom we love.”
Structured in five sections—everyday life, the body and biopolitics, the human/animal dichotomy, migration and borders, and the information landscape—the exhibition includes works by 26 Chinese and international artists, emerging and established. Works engage with the currents that have led to our present circumstances, and what futures we might find in the aftermath. The works mostly predate January 2020, but have taken on new significance in this changed world.
“Meditations in an Emergency” is curated by the UCCA exhibitions team: Guo Xi, Luan Shixuan, Ara Qiu, Lin Luqi, Duffy Du, and Neil Zhang. Participating artists include Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Musquiqui Chihying, Forensic Architecture, Han Bing, Christopher K. Ho, Joyce Ho, Hsu Chia-Wei, Hu Rui, Pierre Huyghe, Jiang Zhuyun, Oliver Laric, Amiko Li, Li Liao, Lu Lei, Shana Moulton, Qiu Anxiong, Mika Rottenberg, Angela Su, Wolfgang, Yi Xin Tong, Wang Bing, Yang Fudong, Zhang Hui, Zhang Peili, Robert Zhao Renhui, and Payne Zhu.
Find out more here.