The China Moment

Research exhibition by the documenta Institut
Opening: Friday, January 23, 2026

With The China Moment, the documenta Institut focuses on a decisive phase in contemporary Chinese art. Spanning the period from the 1980s to the present day, the exhibition examines how art in China reflected society during a time of profound transformation against the backdrop of a shift from globalization to the multipolar present.

The 1980s marked the beginning of a period of profound political and economic change. Under the influence of Deng Xiaoping’s reforms, a new artistic language emerged that combined individuality, social participation and humanistic perspectives. At the same time, China’s opening up and increasing international networking offered new spaces for artistic experimentation and exchange with global discourses on individualism and social transformation. The exhibition shows how art not only reflected social developments, but often anticipated them. It reveals how the relationships between the individual, the state and society shifted and highlights what social energies, collective experiments and individual self-concepts emerged during this period.

Acting as both research project and exhibition The China Moment combines historical and narrative elements. Using archival materials, paintings, photographs, videos, installations, sounds and performances, the show presents works of art alongside the social contexts in which they were created — from spontaneous gatherings and illegal exhibitions in apartments to experimental club and performance scenes.

Participating artists
CAO Fei & OU Ning, CHEN Shaoxiong, Datong Dazhang, HAN Lei, HONG Hao & YAN Lei, JIANG Jie, KAN Xuan, LIN Yilin, Living Dance Studio (Wen Hui), MA Liuming, New Measurement Group (Gu Dexin, Wang Luyan, Chen Shaoping), NI Haifeng, SUI Jianguo, WANG Molin, TONG Sze Hong, ZHAO Chuan, WANG Bing, WANG Guangyi, WANG Tuo, WANG Youshen, WU Wenguang, XIAO Lu, ZHAO Yinou, ZHENG Guogu, ZHOU Tiehai, ZHUANG Hui

The accompanying exhibition catalogue includes new contributions by Mi You, Su Wei, and Anna-Lisa Scherfose, as well as republished historical texts by Wang Hui, Zhao Dingxin, Qin Hui, Zhang Xudong, Yang Guoqiang, Hong Zicheng and Wang Wei, some of which appear in English for the first time.

Curated by Su Wei, Mi You and Anna-Lisa Scherfose.

Guided tours of the exhibition

Regular public tours led by Franziska Weygandt will take place during the exhibition. In around 90 minutes, she will provide insights into the historical and social background of the works on display, introduce artistic approaches, and create space for joint discussions.

Jiaqi Hou will also be offering tours in Chinese/Mandarin. Dates will be announced shortly. Interested groups can already register to arrange individual times.

Public tour dates
Thursdays, 6:30 pm
Saturdays, 4 pm
Sundays, 12 pm

Participation is free of charge and registration is not required.
Private tours are also available for school classes, study groups, and other groups by appointment.