In everyday life, we long to ignite ordinary moments into poetic rituals. We need material anchors to mark history and affirm existence, as well as collective celebrations to spark the present and resist nihilism. Art is precisely the extraordinary medium that weaves this shared memory.

Shanzhongtian Art Center | A Brief History of Sculpture: Deposits of Time_01

Tang Contemporary Art Center | Marinella Senatore: Collective Wisdom_02

A Short History of Sculpture: Time Deposits

Wind H Art Center
June 13 – September 14, 2025

Although titled “A Short History of Sculpture,” the Shanzhongtian exhibition does not follow a linear narrative of the development of sculptural art. Instead, it constructs a temporal zigzag that spans prehistoric times to the future, physical objects to digital forms, and functionality to aesthetics. Starting from the “Spirit Well Bird” bone carving dated 13,500 years ago, the exhibition ultimately points to the contemporary digital culture’s dissolution of materiality, presenting a contemporary expression and reinterpretation of the history of sculpture.

“A Short History of Sculpture, Time Deposits” exhibition site, Shanzhongtian Art Center, Beijing

One of the exhibition’s greatest highlights lies in its keen exploration of the “blurred boundaries” of sculpture. The range of media extends from bone, pottery, stone, metal, and wood all the way to fiberglass, silicone, and digital projection—almost covering the entire material spectrum of human sculptural civilization. From funerary carvings to street signs, from religious statues to cross-media performances, the very concept of “sculpture” has undergone continuous loosening. This “blurred boundary”—the constant shifting between sculpture and non-sculpture, object and action—forms the exhibition’s captivating intellectual tension.

“A Short History of Sculpture: Time Deposits” exhibition site, Shanzhongtian Art Center, Beijing

Even more thought-provoking is the exhibition’s juxtaposition of human cultural achievements spanning millennia. As a 13,500-year-old bone carving, the “Spirit Well Bird” is not only an original totem but also a symbolic starting point of humanity’s impulse to create forms. Resonating across time with this ancient artifact are contemporary works generated through digital technology and algorithms: they represent future visions of sculpture in immaterial forms. Together, they create a temporal and spatial echo within the gallery. This arrangement not only highlights the underlying cultural logic of sculptural art but also reminds us that the foundation of art has always been closely tied to how humans perceive and imagine.

“A Short History of Sculpture: Time Deposit” exhibition site, Shanzhongtian Art Center, Beijing

However, the exhibition still faces certain challenges in its visitor circulation and spatial organization. The gallery lacks a clear visual guidance system, making the logical structure of the seven major sections outlined in the catalog somewhat ambiguous within the physical space. This results in difficulty identifying the thematic focus and transitional rhythm of each section. In this regard, although the curatorial concept is avant-garde, its translation into spatial language could be further strengthened.

“A Short History of Sculpture: Time Deposit,”exhibition site, Shanzhongtian Art Center, Beijing

However, the exhibition still faces certain challenges in its visitor circulation and spatial organization. The gallery lacks a clear visual guidance system, making the logical structure of the seven major sections outlined in the catalog somewhat ambiguous within the physical space. This results in difficulty identifying the thematic focus and transitional rhythm of each section. In this regard, although the curatorial concept is avant-garde, its translation into spatial language could be further strengthened.

“A Short History of Sculpture: Time Deposit,”exhibition site, Shanzhongtian Art Center, Beijing

Marinella Senatore: I Contain Multitudes

Tang Contemporary Art Center
June 28 – August 13, 2025

At the recent Art Basel in Switzerland, Italian artist Marinella Senatore’s large-scale light sculpture was undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching works at the fair. As one of the most active artists in the field of socially engaged art, Senatore now presents her first solo exhibition in China at Tang Contemporary Art Center’s main gallery.

Marinella Senatore, We Rise by Lifting Others (2023), exhibited at Art Basel 2025. Photo credit: Mazen Jannoun

In response to a turbulent global landscape, Senatore seeks to create a “quasi-utopian” space through her festive light installations—one where people can temporarily forget their worries and share joy on equal footing. At the center of the exhibition, three monumental light columns rise dramatically from the ground. Inspired by candleholders and botanical motifs designed by Italian Baroque master Borromini, these structures forgo traditional tributes to historical war heroes, instead celebrating the precious, collective moments of coexistence in the present.

“Marinella Senatore: Collective Wisdom” exhibition site, Tang Contemporary Art Center, Beijing

Surrounding the light columns, the gallery walls are wrapped in vivid, fiery textile collages, as if people from around the world have gathered here to celebrate and move in unison. Senatore skillfully weaves together film, installation, performance, and other media to construct a system that encourages self-learning and liberation. Immersed in her illuminated, constructed environment, visitors are invited to “Dance First, Think Later”—transforming ordinary actions into acts of creative performance and storytelling.

Marinella Senatore, Dance First, Think Later, print on paper, 2025. Image courtesy of Tang Contemporary Art Center

Follow the floor markers and join a “collective dance” that transcends time and space! Here, the language of the body brings poetry into the everyday—dance becomes more than movement; it becomes a philosophical act of resistance against meaninglessness. This belief in participation as the source of artistic energy echoes Joseph Beuys’s idea that “everyone is an artist.” Anyone seeking to reshape the everyday is welcome to join this artistic celebration and become a true creator.

Marinella Senatore, We Rise by Lifting Others, neon wall sculpture, 2025. Image courtesy of Tang Contemporary Art Center

Marinella Senatore, Dance First, Think Later, neon wall sculpture, 2025. Image courtesy of Tang Contemporary Art Center

As the vibrant lights come on, they illuminate a “joyful enclave” of harmony and purity for all. Beyond official, solemn occasions, we also need celebration—we need festivity: “It continuously generates, transforms, and renews. It stands in opposition to all forms of eternalization, finality, and closure.” Every shared moment of joy becomes a delicate stitch, weaving an invisible network through which individuals sense one another’s presence. In this fabric, the fate of the human community is bound ever more tightly together.

“Marinella Senatore: Collective Wisdom” exhibition site, Tang Contemporary Art Center, Beijing

Text / Larry Z, Rita
Editor / Rita