Tai Kwun in Hong Kong is presenting a two-part exhibition titled 'Stay Connected: Art and China Since 2008,' aiming to be the most comprehensive survey of 21st-century Chinese art. The first part, 'Navigating the Cloud,' examined the early internet's influence, while the current second part, 'Supplying the Globe,' focuses on the physical world of labor and China's manufacturing supply chain. The show is structured thematically, exploring ecological footprints, reconfigured labor, networks of exchange, and global realignment.
The exhibition matters as a major historical and curatorial effort to define a pivotal era. Curator Pi Li positions 2008 as a symbolic peak of globalization for China, after which global sentiment shifted from optimism to skepticism. The show seeks to document how Chinese artists have responded to and been shaped by massive societal changes—from digital revolutions to geopolitical realignments and the human stories within global supply chains—creating a crucial record for understanding contemporary Chinese art and its global context.