The works of trailblazing artists Lubaina Himid and Anicka Yi are currently exhibited at the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in the 798 Art District. Although they initially appear to have opposing perspectives—Himid focused on remembering, honoring, and recontextualizing the past, while Yi energetically explores the future and new modes of existence—their complementary artistic approaches create a necessary dialogue about history, existence, and transformation as their works are shown separately yet together.
“Lubaina Himid” – Lubaina Himid
Lubaina Himid, born in Zanzibar, Tanzania, in 1954, is a British artist whose career spans over forty years. Her artwork delves into themes such as marginalization, resilience, personal narratives, identity, a re-centering of the African diaspora, and the impact of British colonialism. She played a significant role in the British Black Arts Movement of the 1980s and became the first Black woman to win the prestigious Turner Prize in 2017. This marks her first solo exhibition in China.
“Lubaina Himid” consists of 19 groups of pieces that reflect or introduce Himid's career from the 1980s to the present. Notable works on display include A Fashionable Marriage (1986), Naming the Money (2004), the Plan B series, Swallow Hard: The Lancaster Dinner Service (2007), and Blue Grid Test (2020).
Himid’s unique painting style features bold colors, non-traditional and multi-dimensional presentations, and the use of found objects and sound to craft multi-layered narratives that invite the audience into a conversation about the global Black experience, challenging prevailing historical narratives.
The "Lubaina Himid" exhibition at UCCA will be open until April 27.
“There Exists Another Evolution, But In This One” – Anicka Yi
Anicka Yi, born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1971, is a New York-based Korean American artist known for her experimental and provocative works. Her practice blends scientific inquiry, biology, and technology with a keen interest in cosmology, spirituality, and biography, resulting in art that defies traditional boundaries.
Yi's work transcends time, merging advanced technology with primal life forms to examine themes of evolution, identity, and belonging. Many of her installations, featuring microbial cultures in petri dishes and AI-generated floating amoebas, explore the blurry lines between human, animal, plant, and machine, inviting viewers to engage in what she terms a “biopolitics of the senses.”
Her art carries significant political weight, often addressing concerns around contagion, cleanliness, and immigration, while fostering a conversation between science and creativity. Installations such as tempura-battered creations enclosed in mylar balloons or biologically inspired machines based on ancient zooplankton activate vivid, imaginative scenarios that resonate with current challenges.
The "There Exists Another Evolution, But In This One" exhibition at UCCA is open until June 15.
Visiting the Exhibitions
Tickets are priced at RMB 100 each. A single ticket allows entry to both exhibitions, but it is valid for only one day/entry, so visitors are encouraged to experience both exhibitions concurrently. The venue estimates that seeing both exhibitions takes about 45 minutes in total, though I spent approximately 1.5 hours there.
For those unfamiliar with the layout of UCCA, please note that the Lubaina Himid exhibition is situated in the smaller West, New, and Central galleries (beginning with the West Gallery), while the Anicka Yi exhibition is housed in the Great Hall, located behind the first three galleries. The entrance to the Anicka Yi exhibition is found in the corridor between the last two galleries of the Lubaina Himid exhibition; if you start with Lubaina Himid, you'll need to backtrack to the entrance, turn left, and proceed straight to access the Anicka Yi exhibition.
UCCA 尤伦斯当代艺术中心
798 Dashanzi Art District, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥路4号大山子艺术区
Hours: Daily, 10 am - 7 pm
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Images: Abigail Weathers, Kasia Bobula, Lorenzo Palmieri, UCCA
The UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in the 798 Art District is currently showcasing the works of two groundbreaking female artists.
