An artist and scholar passionate about Chinese culture and art, Hans van Dijk (1946-2002) came to China from the Netherlands in the early 1980s, devoting the rest of his life to documenting, archiving, and promoting Chinese contemporary art. He curated more than forty exhibitions inside and outside of China, introducing Western art practices to artists including Tang Song, Zhang Peili, Zhou Tiehai, Wang Xingwei, Yan Lei, and Li Songsong amongst others. Bridging the gap between Chinese and European culture, van Dijk helped numerous emerging artists gain international attention. He founded the New Amsterdam Art Consultancy (NAAC) in 1993, and later the Chinese Art Archive and Warehouse (CAAW) with Ai Weiwei and Frank Uytterhaegen in 1998.

In this discussion, artists and scholars who knew van Dijk personally will both offer anecdotes about his life and consider the contributions he made to the Chinese contemporary art scene as well as his legacy in the Chinese art world today.

Note:

FREE, ticket required. See Ticketing & Participation.*

Karen Smith (critic and curator)

Wang Xingwei (artist)

Tang Song (artist)

Li Songsong (artist)

Yan Lei (artist), and others TBC

Philip Tinari (Director, UCCA)