Auckland Art Gallery is preparing to open "Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now," a major exhibition of contemporary Chinese art curated by Hutch Wilco. The show features works from the White Rabbit Collection in Sydney, including a massive 7-meter-high stone sculpture by Xu Zhen, paintings by Shang Liang, and photography by Pixy Liao, who recently won a 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship. Wilco spent three years organizing the exhibition, which includes playful sculptures, paintings, and multimedia works, with significant logistical challenges in transporting large pieces from China.
The exhibition matters because it offers New Zealand audiences a rare survey of post-1980s Chinese contemporary art, a rapidly growing sector of the global art market. With around 260,000 Chinese people in New Zealand, the show reflects the country's demographic shift and growing interest in Chinese culture. The involvement of collector Judith Neilson, who founded the White Rabbit Gallery and holds the world's largest collection of Chinese contemporary art, underscores the international significance of this artistic movement. The exhibition also highlights how Chinese artists have evolved from state propaganda tools during the Cultural Revolution to globally recognized creators.