Browsing China's Largest Ever Picasso Exhibition
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Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is arguably the most famous name in modern art. His career spanned 78 years, in which he created approximately 13,500 paintings, 100,000 prints and engravings, and 34,000 illustrations. His distinct style, form, and unique eye for detail as preserved in his work has left a tremendous impact on the art world and won him millions of fans the world over.
"Self-portrait" (1906)
That includes in China, where Picasso is a household name just as he is elsewhere around the world. It's no exaggeration then that the UCCA's latest exhibition, titled Picasso – Birth of a Genius, which arrives 45 years after the great master's death, is a big deal and marks the largest showing of his work ever in China.
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The exhibition includes 103 works (34 paintings, 14 sculptures, and 55 sketches and collages) drawn entirely from the collection of the Musée national Picasso-Paris (museepicassoparis.fr). The works give an overview of the first three decades of Picasso’s career, a period when his style underwent numerous changes; from the academic realism of his student days to his post-war return to a classical style, the alternately somber and carnivalesque motifs of his Blue and Rose periods to his primitive explorations and eventual deep dive into Cubism.
"Studies" (1920)
The show unfurls through UCCA’s 1800-square-meter Great Hall and is presented over five major sections. "The First Picasso” runs through his early works such as Man in a Cap, Study of a Torso, and After a Plaster Cast, while "Picasso Blue and Rose” demonstrates his advancement from imitating Post-Impressionist masters to developing a truly original style, resulting in works like The Jester and Two Brothers.
“Picasso the Exorcist” presents the Spanish painter's revolutionary experiments with form and space, producing artworks like Self-Portrait and laying the groundwork for his masterpiece, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, and toward his “Picasso the Cubist” period. Picasso's art during this period was wrought with elaborate systems and signs, producing works such as Man with a Mandolin and Man with Fireplace.
"The Kiss" (1969)
Finally, “Picasso the Chameleon” marks the artist's turn towards classical revivalism and works such as The Lovers and Studies, as well as his branching out into set design and costumes, specifically for Ballets Russes' production of Le Tricorne. There is also a selection of paintings and sculptures dated between 1927 and 1972, which give an overview of the second half of Picasso's career.
As the first major exhibition by UCCA under its new ownership, in our eyes, this sprawling show has allayed any fears that the quality or direction of Beijing's most distinguished gallery may be compromised. It's also the perfect antidote to the long wait that Chinese fans have had to endure; comprehensive, varied, and well-arranged, the selection of works encapsulate why Picasso remains as globally revered as he is to this day.
Picasso – Birth of a Genius is open daily at UCCA and runs until Sep 1. Tickets cost RMB 158 on weekdays or RMB 188 on weekends (RMB 138 for students) and can be booked online via the QR code above. Check UCCA's website (ucca.org.cn) for details on special programs such as panel discussions, lectures, and performances which will take place alongside the show in the coming months.
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Images courtesy of UCCA, Sotheby's (sothebys.com)
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