State of the Arts: Five Exhibitions To See You Through the End of Winter

Vincent R. Vinci, Managing Editor | Feb 16, 2022 5:24 pm | Add a comment | 251 reads

State of the Arts is our regular arts column whereby we take a look at the newest moves in Beijing's creative scene and highlight art news as well as exhibitions, artists, and openings that you should seek out.

Winter isn’t leaving Beijing without one last week of frigid weather, and even with snows making for a pretty sight this past weekend, it’s time we look elsewhere for a bit of beauty.

With that in mind, here are some exhibitions to warm the soul until warmer days are upon the capital again.

'The Space Between Us' Alec Soth Photography Exhibition

"The Space Between Us" showcases 44 works by Minneapolis-based American photographer Alec Soth. Known for his large-scale portraits and landscapes, Soth has had more than 50 solo exhibitions around the world and is the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship in 2013.

Three Shadows Photography Art Centre
Duration: Until Mar 6
155A Caochangdi, Chaoyang District
朝阳区草场地155A号

Snow on Clouds Panda Garden

As part of the ongoing Chinese Ice and Snow Art Show in Longfusi, this “Panda Garden” features two giant panda statues by artist Zhao Bandi situated around the “temple” complex on Longfu Cultural Center’s ninth floor. There’s also an exhibition of Olympic-themed paintings in some of the ninth-floor halls. In spite of the chill, it can be quite a nice place to spend a sunny day, made all the better with a bit of art and pandas.

Longfu Cultural Center 隆福文创园
Duration: Until Mar 31
9F, Beijing Longfu Building, 95 Longfusi Street, Dongcheng District
东城区隆福寺街95号北京隆福大厦9号楼

Austin Lee’s 'Human Nature'

Three years in the making, this exhibition from American multimedia artist Austin Lee is his most comprehensive to date, featuring recent creations from 2019 to 2022. These include paintings, animation, installations, and a number of commissioned works.

Lee is a new kind of artist, first visualizing works using virtual reality software before manifesting them in myriad mediums. Thus, his work seeks to show how technology can benefit the creative process, just as it benefits society as a whole.

MWoods Gallery 木木美术馆
Duration: Until May 8
D-06, 798 Art Zone, 2 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥路2号798艺术区，D-06

'Fables' Antonio Obá Exhibition

The first solo exhibition of Brazilian artist Antonio Obá in Asia will highlight the artist’s exploration of colonialism and identity, especially through Black bodies, with more than 20 works, including paintings and installations.

X Art Museum X美术馆
Duration: Until Mar 20
Bldg 11, Beijing Art & Finance Intl. Innovation Park, Jingcheng Expressway, Chaoyang District
朝阳区京承高速北京艺术金融国际创新园11号楼

'Marvelous Colors, Manifold Forms: Cultural Exchanges in Glass Art'

Although the full title of this show is more than a mouthful, it does what it sets out to do – show examples of cultural exchange in glass art between ancient Eastern and Western civilizations. This show was conceived in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. You’ll find more than 300 pieces of cultural relics from Tsinghua University Art Museum and the Yufu Hirayama Silk Road Art Museums.