It's finally here.
After nearly twelve months of preparation, the Robert Rauschenberg in China exhibition has finally arrived inside the gates of one of China's most recognizable museums, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing.
But Rauschenberg in China didn't start twelve months ago, in fact, the show's opening day (June 12th) is a historical day for Rauschenberg in China. It was on this day, 35 years ago, that Rauschenberg first came to China where he would produce his color photographs titled Study for Chinese Summerhall that will be selectively shown at UCCA's exhibition.
Phil Tinari, director of UCCA, disregards the irony behind this and replaces it instead with "Yuanfen", a Chinese word describing a faithful coincidence.
"Everything happens for a reason," smiles Tinari as he shuffles through some last minute paper work at his second floor office inside UCCA.
"It's always very exciting to see the show come together, to see the work on the wall, and to put all the finishing touches on the exhibition. Now we are just getting everything ready to have all of Beijing come see the show over the summer."
UCCA expects a big number of visitors coming through UCCA's great hall to see the 2016 summer art blockbuster that is Rauschenberg in China that runs from June 12 to August 21. In 1985, more than 300,000 visitors saw Rauschenberg's ROCI-China show in Beijing.
"We hope that this exhibition will illustrate not only how Rauschenberg inspired China, but how China inspired him," says Tinari.
Highlighting the Rauschenberg in China exhibition is the famed ¼ mile (or 2 Furlong piece), a 109 part 305-meter art piece that stretches across UCCA's great hall. It's the first time in about twenty years that Rauschenberg's ¼ mile will be shown in full, and curatorial advisor to the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Susan Davidson, says it expresses the combination between art and life.
"I think that's one of the strongest points in Rauschenberg's work in general. In the past, when it's been show, people have been overwhelmed by the breath and materials, the imagery and inventiveness, and also the kind of domestic quality of the monumental work," says Davidson.
"I am absolutely thrilled that this exhibition is here at the UCCA. It has been a dream for the foundation to bring Bob back to China. The enthusiasm that we saw before the the show was even open was very positive and that's really rewarding."
Rauschenberg in China's main sponsor is Tiffany and Co. While Tiffany and Co. champion the jewelry industry, they have a distinct taste for art. In the mid-1950s, a young Robert Rauschenberg and friend Jasper Johns were hired by Tiffany and Co. to create window displays for their New York store. Ironic? Not to Tinari's standards, it's just another case of "Yuanfen".
Over half a century later, Rauschenberg and Tiffany and Co. reunite in Beijing's UCCA to bring forward what will certainly stand as another iconic footprint for the global art scene, Rauschenberg in China.
