ShanghART Gallery presents Dai Chenlian's solo exhibition 'Waxing and Waning of the Augustness III' at its M50 space in Shanghai from April 10 to May 29, 2026. The show is the final chapter of the artist's 'Mother Trilogy,' centering on his mother's life from 1954 to 2025. Through a reconstructed old house made from loom parts, along with painting, installation, performance, sound narration, and shadow puppetry, the exhibition explores themes of memory, migration, and female resilience, drawing on a line by Tang dynasty poet Li Shangyin.
The exhibition matters because it transforms a deeply personal family story into a broader reflection on the lives of Chinese women across generations, linking individual destiny with historical change. By using the mother's narrative as a microcosm, Dai Chenlian addresses collective experiences of displacement, labor, and perseverance, offering a poetic re-examination of era and emotion. The show also underscores ShanghART Gallery's ongoing role as a key platform for Chinese contemporary art since its founding in 1996.