'The future will be…' China Edition

Luncheon panel discussion with Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-director of Exhibitions and Programmes and Director of International Projects, Serpentine Gallery; Wang Jianwei, artist; Xu Zhen, artist; and Hung Huang, publisher, author, blogger, TV personality

Internationally celebrated curator Hans Ulrich Obrist is often asked about the future of art. His answer is always that we have to listen to artists. Since 2005, Obrist has expanded this narrative to ask not only artists but also writers, architects, mathematicians, scientists, poets, photographers, designers, novelists, professors, lawyers, actors and philosophers to complete the sentence, "The future will be...," resulting in a range of different readings on what lies ahead.

The first in a series of publications, the China edition of The future will be… is a collection of over 100 answers to Obrist’s question from protagonists working in China, which encourages readers to delve into the futuristic imaginings of a profoundly complex society. Co-published by the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli and the Ullens Contemporary Center of Art, this bi-lingual publication will be officially launched during ART HK 2012 at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center with a discussion moderated by Melissa Chiu, Director of Asia Society Museum on the future of Chinese art. Panelists include Hans Ulrich Obrist, artists Wang Jianwei and Xu Zhen, and publisher, author, blogger TV personality Hung Huang.

Hans Ulrich Obrist (b. Zurich, 1968) is the Co-director of Exhibitions and Programmes and Director of International Projects at the Serpentine Gallery, London. He is well-known for gathering the viewpoints of artists and other cultural figures through his interview projects.

Hung Huang (b. 1961, Beijing) is one of China’s most influential media figures. As the CEO of the China Interactive Media Group and publisher of fashion magazine “iLook,” she is one of the leading voices on contemporary Chinese culture.

Wang Jianwei(b. 1958, Sichuan province) is a pioneering figure in Chinese contemporary art. His eclectic practice, which encompasses video, installation, sculpture, and performance, displays the theatrical and cinematic elements of daily life.

Xu Zhen(b. 1977, Shanghai) is an artist whose largely conceptual works make critiques and observations on contemporary China. He exhibited widely under his own name before establishing the collective MadeIn Company in 2009.

Book sale after event.