Meditations in an Emergency: Beijing Exhibition Addresses Coronavirus Pandemic

A group exhibition titled "Meditations in an Emergency" opens in Beijing, China, curated by Guo Xi, Luan Shixuan, Ara Qiu, Rocky Lin, Duffy Du, and Neil Zhang. The show features around 25 Chinese and international artists, including Zhang Hui, presenting both new and existing works from the past two decades. The title is borrowed from a poetry collection by Frank O'Hara, who also served as a curator at MoMA in New York. The exhibition includes an archival review of the 2003 show "Blue Sky Exposure," which marked the end of the SARS epidemic. The curators state that the world is experiencing the first fully global event of the 21st century, amid a pandemic that has halted global exchanges, heightened mortality awareness, and created uncertainty, prompting reflection on art's role. Visitors must wear protective masks, maintain two-meter distance, undergo temperature checks (must not exceed 37.2°C), and prove they have been in Beijing for at least fourteen days via tracking apps to prevent imported infections. The exhibition is divided into five sections: daily life, transience, human instincts, globalization, and information. The article was written by Niccolò Lucarelli for Artribune.