How Corporate-Controlled Museums in China Have Become Strategic Urban Development Tools

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observer.com/2024/11/corporate-controlled-art-museums-china-cultural-quality/

The growing influence of corporations in the museum sector raises concerns about cultural quality even as China’s burgeoning art scene grows by leaps and bounds.

During Shanghai Art Week, Observer took a day trip to the newly inaugurated UCCA Clay, a museum that opened its doors this October in Yixing, Jiangsu province—fondly known as the “City of Ceramics.” Situated about two hours and two train rides from Shanghai, this ambitious new cultural destination seeks to bridge Yixing’s storied clay-making heritage with the innovative practices of contemporary artists working with the medium. While the city has long been synonymous with its artisanal workshops and pottery shops, it lacked a true cultural anchor, and UCCA Clay aims to fill that void by not only preserving the remnants of Yixing’s once-thriving pottery factories but also positioning itself as a standalone tourist draw to put the city on the cultural map.

#chine #musée #shangai #uccaClay #StudioKengoKuma&associale #architecture