Rutherford Chang's First Institutional Retrospective at UCCA Beijing Explores Time Through Vinyl, Copper, and Tetris

In Beijing, the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art is presenting the inaugural institutional retrospective of the late US conceptual artist Rutherford Chang, who passed away at the age of 45 last year. The exhibition, named "Hundreds and Thousands," highlights Chang's notable work "We Buy White Albums," which features 3,700 first pressings of The Beatles' 1968 "White Album," each with its own unique narrative. Another significant piece is "CENTS Block Copper" (2024), made from 10,000 pre-1982 US pennies melted into a 31-kilogram block, with accompanying photographs secured on a Bitcoin blockchain. Additionally, the exhibition showcases "Game Boy Tetris" (2013–2018), where Chang attempted to beat Steve Wozniak's score of 599,483 points from April 12, 2014, by recording over 2,000 Tetris sessions.