The star-studded opening of the Christian Dior and Chinese Artists exhibition had all the glitz, glamor and downright excessive fabulousness you'd expect from the world of haute couture. A flock of specially invited guests spilled into the heavily-policed 798 art district especially for the occasion, including major A-listers Charlize Theron, Eva Green, Marion Cotillard, Maggie Cheung and Michelle Yeoh. Unfortunately for the likes of us humble press, entry was strictly limited to those handpicked by Galliano himself – we were granted a suitably glamorous cocktail-fueled viewing the following day.

And, what a show it is. I went away reeling from the sheer amount of money that has evidently been channeled into the spectacular show. I am loath to call this an exhibition – it is more of an experience, as one is catapulted into a fantasyland decked out in mirrored halls and bamboo forests. After walking through a white tunnel spliced with several heavy pearl-beaded curtains (black pearls pick out the characters of a Tang Dynasty poem for ‘elegance, perfection and continuity’, which could be Dior’s manifesto), one lands in what seems like outer space: a darkened room shot through with blinking fiber optic strands and a floating Dior dress. Each room appeals to a different aspect of Dior as interpreted by a Chinese artist: Zheng Guogu casts perfume bottles in copper in order to address the “transient icon of consumer culture”, whilst Xu Zhongmin, in the scariest exhibit, creates an installation of Giaccometti-type skeletons in various states of undress, which revolve wildly in a strobe-lit room. This is intended to evoke the eternal cycle of Samsara (the Buddhist notion of suffering) – and indeed, there is often an ambivalent reaction to Dior’s decadence conveyed in the works. Li Songsong’s enormous take on Dior’s Lady Bag, for instance, symbolizes both grandeur and waste, whilst Zhang Dali’s painting of Galliano only allows him to emerge from behind his tagline “AK-47”.

Dominating the main room is Zhang Huan’s enormous sculpture of a slumped, child-like figure made out of dead cow skins - complete with hoofs and tails. It is creepy and mesmerizing. Amongst my favorite pieces were Wen Fang’s “Hole in the Wall, Hope in the World”, which recreated something resembling the Berlin Wall, except that this time we see prints from Vogue covers on one side, and portraits of Mao and old Communist propaganda posters on the other. Importantly, the wall has started to fall apart: and it seems that this is what it’s all about – in the words of the curator – establishing an “unprecedented dialogue” between cultures, histories and traditions. Liu Jianhua’s evocation of Dior’s workshop in white porcelain suggests, life is fragile – and yet time alone cannot destroy us.

This exhibition could, however drive you insane. It is like being caught in some upside-down wonderland slash madhouse – and with all the mirrors, one is confronted with one’s own reflection at every turn. The actual dresses on display are stunning works of extreme craftsmanship – and there is no doubt that they qualify as “art”. This show can satisfy at several levels, providing fodder for both the fashionistas and also those bent on engaging with consumer culture at a more conceptual level.

Links and Sources
UCCA: Christian Dior & Chinese Artists
Zimbio: Christian Dior & Chinese Artists
NY Mag: John Galliano
The Beijinger: Review: Our Future, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art
The Beijinger: Just When You Thought Chinese Art Couldn't Get Any Hotter, Ullens Center Opens in 798