Made in China

The exhibition doesn’t just focus on the past. It also highlights how today’s creators engage with tradition, identity, and change. Artists and designers such as Cao Fei, Susan Fang, Yang Yongliang, Jing He, Chen Hangfeng, Ma Ke, and Feng Chen Wang show how Chinese craftsmanship continues to evolve.

Expect to see an innovative suit bearing the label ‘Made in China’ by Feng Chen Wang, and a sustainable dress by Susan Fang. The award-winning video game Black Myth: Wukong also features in the exhibition, alongside work by Chinese-Dutch artist Ting Gong. You'll find surprising fashion, experimental jewelry, sustainable design, contemporary porcelain, glass, and photography – all prompting reflection on what ‘Made in China’ means today.

Copying and mass production are often what people first associate with ‘Made in China.’ But this phenomenon has a much older history. China has been producing on a large scale for over 3,000 years. A well-known example is the thousands of Terracotta Warriors made for the First Emperor. The exhibition features impressive reconstructions of these figures – created using authentic techniques, materials, and colors.

Chinese calligraphy also shows how repetition can be used creatively and systematically to produce thousands of unique characters. A digital interactive allows visitors to experiment with these characters themselves.

At the same time, the history of mass production is not only positive. It is also a story of resource depletion, environmental pollution and human exploitation. The exhibition encourages visitors to reflect on who pays the price of cheap production and its impact on people and the planet, featuring, among other things, examples of so-called migrant worker poetry.