Marina Abramović's First China Exhibition at MAM Shanghai

Marina Abramović returns to China with 'Transforming Energy,' her first solo museum exhibition in the country, over 30 years after her 1988 Great Wall performance. The show at the Modern Art Museum (MAM) in Shanghai focuses on her Transitory Objects, created since the early 1990s following her walk on the Great Wall and visits to Brazilian gem mines. Curator Shai Baitel explains that the exhibition explores energy transformation and spiritual purification, resonating with the Chinese concept of qi. The interactive installation includes large crystal sculptures and bathtubs filled with traditional Chinese herbs. Abramović's 1988 performance 'The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk' with Ulay marked the end of their relationship and introduced her to Chinese medicine and crystals. The exhibition is not a retrospective but presents new works alongside Transitory Objects, inviting visitors to engage physically and spiritually. MAM Shanghai, which has previously hosted David Hockney, Bob Dylan, and Zaha Hadid, continues its program of bridging Western and Chinese art. Upcoming shows include Kenny Scharf, Andy Warhol, and Judy Chicago, alongside Chinese artists like Wang Qingsong and Yuan Yuan.