Recognized worldwide as one of China’s most innovative artists, Wang Qingsong is based in Beijing and was born in 1966 at the start of the Cultural Revolution.  The artist has been invited to Miami for the opening reception and will speak at 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 8.  

ADinfinitum features giant photographic masterpieces the artist stages in huge spaces such as movie studios and warehouses. These works depict the drastic changes occurring in China, and the challenges  brought about by this accelerated transition. They chronicle the difficulties that rapid societal change has presented to the Chinese people.

The artwork can require months of logistical preparation and staging, and recruitment of dozens and sometimes  hundreds of models for epic photo-shoots (many are done in one day and with no digital manipulation).  

The exhibition is site-specific, featuring 12 of Wang’s large-scale  works (some from the Miami collections of Ella Cisneros, Anthony Japour and Craig Robins). Spanning all three galleries of the Frost’s third floor (a rarity for the museum), the show encompasses 2,500 square feet.  

A first for Wang’s solo shows, each gallery is dedicated to a particular theme of his work. The artist’s deep nostalgia for Chinese tradition  permeates one gallery focusing on this core subject matter. One of the artworks in this exhibition, Crazy Readers, has never been shown in the United States.

“Known for wandering the streets of China armed with a camera, Wang states that he uses his photo-murals to witness and emulate the hopes and frustrations of the Chinese people,” said Curator Lidu Yi, professor and art historian at Florida International University. “ADinfinitum brings the story of China past and present to a new Western audience fascinated by his country’s cultural and artistic dramas.”