Beijing's CAFA Art Museum Launches Inaugural 'Techne' Triennial
In February 2020, the CAFA Art Museum in Beijing will unveil 'Techne,' a triennial dedicated to the intersection of technology, art, and culture, under the curation of Zhang Ga. Spanning 5,000 square meters, the event showcases 120 artworks from 130 artists hailing from 28 nations, featuring notable historical pieces such as 'Reunion' (1968) by Marcel Duchamp and John Cage. The exhibition is divided into two main sections: 'Topologies of the Real,' which comprises three subsections examining different aspects of reality, and 'Art in Motion: Masterpieces with and through Media,' which reinterprets 20th-century art history via media. The triennial's roots can be traced back to Zhang Ga's 2008 exhibition linked to the Beijing Olympics, with ongoing collaborations through various exhibitions.
Key facts
- CAFA Art Museum in Beijing launches first 'Techne' triennial in February 2020.
- Curated by Zhang Ga, professor emeritus and director of CAFA's Center for Art & Technology.
- 120 works by 130 artists and collectives from 28 countries.
- Exhibition space covers 5,000 square meters.
- Includes historic piece 'Reunion' (1968) by Marcel Duchamp and John Cage.
- Features artists: Bruce Conner, Dan Graham, Zhang Peili, Mike Kelley, Thomas Feuerstein, Micol Assaël, Liu Xiaodong, Philippe Parreno, Alex da Corte, Jayson Musson, Hito Steyerl.
- Two sections: 'Topologies of the Real' (curated by Zhang Ga) and 'Art in Motion' (with ZKM, co-curated by Peter Weibel and Siegfried Zielinski).
- Triennial origins trace to 2008 exhibition 'Synthetic Times' at NAMOC during Beijing Olympics.
- Previous NAMOC Media Art Triennials in 2011 and 2014 were suspended after director Fan Di'an's departure in 2015.
- Precursor exhibitions: 'unREAL. The Algorithmic Present' (2017) and 'Datumsoria: the Return of the Real' (2018) at ZKM.
- ZKM's 2018 exhibition 'Art In Motion' originally included over 400 works; selected portion shown in Beijing.
- Peter Weibel calls the exhibition a unique opportunity to rethink 20th-century art and redefine media art.
Entities
Artists
- Marcel Duchamp
- John Cage
- Bruce Conner
- Dan Graham
- Zhang Peili
- Mike Kelley
- Thomas Feuerstein
- Micol Assaël
- Liu Xiaodong
- Philippe Parreno
- Alex da Corte
- Jayson Musson
- Hito Steyerl
- Deng Yuejun
- Shigeko Kubota
Institutions
- CAFA Art Museum
- Center for Art & Technology (CAFA)
- ZKM Center for Art and Media
- National Art Museum of China (NAMOC)
- Andrew Kreps Gallery
- John Cage Trust
- Shigeko Kubota Video Art Foundation
- Ullence Center for Contemporary Art
- 798 Art District
Locations
- Beijing
- China
- Karlsruhe
- Germany
- Padova
- Italy