Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names

This exhibition, held at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, comprises of three main elements grouped chronologically within significant periods in the scholar’s life. A collection of documentary material from the Netherlands, Germany and the NAAC/CAAW archive, Beijing, includes catalogues, personal correspondence and photographs, and provides an in-depth recording of van Dijk’s life and work within an emerging art scene.

Complementing these documents are works by Chinese artists with whom van Dijk worked closely. Van Dijk’s contribution to the introduction of photography as contemporary art into the Chinese and international art worlds will be looked at closely, and several historical works by figures including Li Yongbin and the New Analysts (Xin Kedu), originally included in van Dijk’s exhibitions, will be recreated.

Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names is an exhibition in two parts curated by Marianne Brouwer and developed with Defne Ayas (Director, Witte de With) and Philip Tinari (Director, UCCA), together with Venus Lau (Curator, UCCA), Samuel Saelemakers (Associate Curator, Witte de With) and Ian Yang (Curatorial Fellow, Witte de With). Curatorial assistance was provided by Andreas Schmid and Zhang Li.

Co-commissioned by Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing and Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam. This first part of the program, Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names takes place from 24 May to 10 August at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, followed by Dai Hanzhi: 5000 Artists from 4 September 2014 to 4 January 2015 at Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art.