OCAT Shenzhen curator Chen Baiqi on museum reopening amid pandemic

Chen Baiqi, curator of OCAT Shenzhen, discusses the museum's pandemic response. OCAT, founded in 2005 and sponsored by state-owned OCT Group, operates multiple contemporary art museums across China including Shenzhen, Shanghai, Xi'an, Wuhan, Nanjing, and Beijing. The museum closed during Lunar New Year, postponing or canceling all exhibition plans for the first half of 2020, with uncertainty extending to the second half. During closure, the education department launched online discussions with art professionals, attracting unprecedented participation. The museum reopened on March 27 with the same pre-pandemic exhibition, but visitor numbers dropped significantly. Access requires temperature checks and disinfection; security denied entry to recent overseas returnees. Staff adopted videoconferencing, reduced face-to-face meetings. The curatorial department is reworking plans for late 2020 and early 2021; research publications were less affected. Management is coordinating with Chinese institutions and artists to compensate for foreign artists and curators unable to travel. Major difficulties include interrupted projects, uncertain duration of the pandemic, and potential cuts to government cultural funds (normally applied for twice yearly, with January applications still pending). Chen canceled all 2020 exhibition plans, hoping to present better solutions post-pandemic, and encourages friends to produce knowledge through writing and sharing online.