CHICAGO, IL.- From gunpowder to human hair, and silk to cigarettes, the materiality of contemporary art from China is on view in Chicago in The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China. Organized by the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art along with Wrightwood 659, a Tadao Ando-designed art space, The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China (February 7–May 3, 2020) features 48 two- and three-dimensional works made from a range of unique and humble materials, including melted plastic, desiccated Coca-Cola ash, and 300,000 iron nails. The works, many monumental in scale, explore how conscious material choice has become a means of expression for a number of leading Chinese contemporary artists working over the last four decades. The artists in the exhibition range from those in the early stages of their career, including He Xiangyu, Hu Xiaoyuan, and Ma Qiusha, to such internationally celebrated practitioners as Ai Weiwei, Cai Guo-Qiang, Lin Tianmiao, Xu Bing, and Yin Xiuzhen.

The Allure of Matter has been co-curated by Professor Wu Hung, Smart Museum Adjunct Curator, Harrie A. Vanderstappen Distinguished Service Professor of Art History, and Director of the Center for the Art of East Asia at the University of Chicago, with Orianna Cacchione, Smart Museum Curator of Global Contemporary Art.

Professor Wu states, “The Allure of Matter brings to the fore an incredible roster of artists who have developed intensely personal connections with unconventional materials. Taken together, the works introduce a broader framework for understanding global contemporary art that includes what I call 'Material Art' or caizhi yishu, where material—rather than image or style—is the paramount vehicle of aesthetic, political, and emotional expression.”

Dr. Cacchione adds, “Through their under recognized experimentations and often overlooked use of unconventional materials, the artists featured in The Allure of Matter have broken away from past art practices and styles. Their multi-faceted, monumental works inspire us to ask big questions about both our relationship to the everyday material world around us and the interrelationship between Chinese art and broader trends in contemporary art globally.”

Jim McDonough, Executive Director of Alphawood Foundation Chicago, notes, “Thanks to an extraordinary partnership between Wrightwood 659 and the Smart Museum, the largest exhibition of ‘Material Art’ ever mounted will be on view in Chicago. Alphawood Foundation is very proud to sponsor Wu Hung’s remarkable exhibition, which presents an entirely new genre of fine art as practiced by some of the most prominent Chinese artists working today.”

This presentation of The Allure of Matter (which expands upon the version that premiered in spring 2019 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) occupies the full gallery footprint of both institutions. Featuring 48 works that are complementary in form, material, and visual effect, the exhibition is divided into two unique halves, with 26 works by 16 artists at the Smart Museum, and 23 works by 14 artists at Wrightwood 659 (Zhan Wang’s video Beyond 12 Nautical Miles – Floating Rock Drifts on the Open Sea will be shown at both locations). To fully experience the exhibition, guests are encouraged to visit both locations.

Artists: The Allure of Matter features work by Ai Weiwei, Cai Guo-Qiang, Chen Zhen, Gu Dexin, gu wenda, He Xiangyu, Hu Xiaoyuan, Huang Yong Ping, Jin Shan, Liang Shaoji, Lin Tianmiao, Liu Jianhua, Liu Wei, Ma Qiusha, Shi Hui, Song Dong, Sui Jianguo, Sun Yuan and Peng Yu, Wang Jin, Xu Bing, Yin Xiuzhen, Zhan Wang, Zhang Huan, Zhang Yu, and Zhu Jinshi.