Guggenheim Bilbao to Present Previously Withdrawn Animal Works in Chinese Art Exhibition

Two contentious pieces featuring live animals, which were previously pulled from New York's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum amid public backlash, are set to be showcased at the Guggenheim Bilbao. Huang Yong Ping's Theater of the World (1993) and Xu Bing's A Case Study of Transference (1994) will be part of the traveling exhibition Art and China after 1989: Theatre of the World, debuting on 11 May. Notably, Sun Yuan and Peng Yu's Dogs That Cannot Touch Each Other (2003) will not be included; it has been substituted with their installation Freedom (2003), which utilizes a high-pressure hose. A museum representative confirmed that measures have been implemented, including working with the artist and local experts to ensure the proper care of reptiles and insects, overseen by trained professionals. After Bilbao, the exhibition is expected to move to SFMOMA in San Francisco, although the inclusion of the animal artworks there is still under consideration. The initial withdrawal occurred last year due to public discontent regarding the use of animals in these pieces.