Under Heaven

Contemporary Art from China in the Ahmanson Collection

The Ahmanson Gallery celebrated the opening of “Under Heaven: Contemporary Art from China in the Ahmanson Collection” with a day-long symposium of Chinese history and culture, an opening reception, and a multifaceted summer party. The exhibition features fifteen artworks by nine leading contemporary artists from China working in photography, painting, sculpture, and video. Works by HAI Bo, LI Songsong, LI Zhenwei, WU Xiaowu, WU Yiming, XU Zhen, YU Honglei, ZHAN Wang, and ZHANG Jian-Jun are on view together for the first time in California. The exhibition takes the viewer on an intellectual and artistic journey through contemporary China.

The full-day symposium entitled Perspectives on China: Contemporary Chinese History and Culture gathered internationally renowned scholars to discuss and contextualize major topics in understanding China today. The symposium was curated by France Pepper, Founder and Director of China Insider.

The following day the exhibition was again feted by hundreds of guests who enjoyed a gallery reception prepared by Il Fornaio and then dined al fresco with the offerings of seven different food trucks. The evening culminated with a lively poetry reading by internationally renowned novelist and poet Qiu Xiaolong and California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia.