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As an artist, Shao Fan (born 1964 in Beijing) occupies a special position in contemporary Chinese painting. This is due to two key aspects that are closely linked. On the one hand, he uses the classical ink drawing as his painting technique, but without tying himself down to the traditional motifs, he transfers his own motifs onto monumental formats. Classically, he draws his subjects from Chinese culture: the hare, the monkey, aging people, the mountainous landscape. They are not always aesthetic motifs; rather he confronts processes of ageing and of the already timeless, which in turn develop their own unique aura. At the same time, he often zooms in on his subjects and places the beholder in, so to speak, an oversize confrontation with them. The result is an idiosyncratic tension between closeness and distance that is direct and puzzling at the same time.

The exhibition revolves around these painterly aspects of tradition and modernism, and develops this theme with the most important works of the artist. In addition to current works, some early works as well as sculptures and items of furniture created by Shao Fan are on display.

The exhibition is being staged in collaboration with the Uli Sigg Collection, Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne, the Museum M+ in Hong Kong, and the artist Shao Fan.