2025 EAST and WEST

China and Italy united by the universal language of art. With over seventy works by more than forty artists, Chinese artists linked to Shanghai engage in dialogue with the historical collection of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art and with works by great Italian artists of the 20th century, well known and appreciated in China and considered absolute masters in the East. The exhibition is a valuable opportunity to learn about the art of a distant country that is nevertheless a leading player on the international scene, a world in flux where tradition intertwines with transformation.

The works on display showcase the combination of technical perfection and visually striking images, with multiple references to Chinese cultural traditions as well as to hyper-contemporary Chinese metropolises. The exhibition is structured around three progressive themes (“Reflections of Space-Time”, “Expansion of Thought”, “Generation of the Imaginary”) and offers a plurality of historical perspectives, media transformations and contemporary perceptions, constructing a field of dialogue that spans culture, history and inner experience.

“Reflections of Space-Time” traces the ways in which Chinese and Italian artists have addressed the processes of modernisation from the 20th century to the present day, exploring the reconstruction of cultural identity and the renewal of artistic language. “Expansion of Thought” is dedicated to the transformation of materials, media and conceptual languages; finally, in “Generation of the Imaginary”, the works are rooted in local experience, urban memory and individual narrative, generating social landscapes and psychological scenarios that intertwine abstraction and figuration.