ULI SIGG: The M+ Sigg Collection serves as a living archive of Chinese contemporary art. Its value lies not in market price, but in its historical significance. I collected these works to offer the public insight into China’s social transformation through art, revealing how art, politics, and personal destinies are deeply intertwined. I do not perceive these works to be my personal assets, but to be cultural treasures belonging to China and the public.

SUHANYA RAFFEL: Dr. Uli Sigg was our founding benefactor to provide the M+ Sigg collection as a route for the museum’s collection building. [It is an] extraordinary group of work, [with] over 1,500 pieces.

ULI SIGG: As an ambassador, I also had a cultural task to connect the two cultures better. And I had the opportunity to meet artists. At first, I thought I would collect a few pieces for myself. And in doing that, I realised that no one else was doing that in any systematic way, just a few individuals randomly. After a few purchases, I tasked myself with the mission to build a collection. It’s about mirroring the art production in its full width and depth across all media, as far as they existed at the time, along the timeline.

SUHANYA RAFFEL: [In] the Sigg Galleries at M+, we have seen the third expression from that collection, the first being ‘From Revolution to Globalisation’, which was part of our opening exhibitions. It was a textbook presentation of the M+ Sigg Collection. The second exhibition was called ‘Another Story’, and now we are seeing the third expression with ‘Inner Worlds’.

ULI SIGG: I saw the collection not just as a collection or an accumulation of artworks. To me, it was also the best way of mirroring Chinese society.

ARIADNE LONG: (Cantonese) The exhibition ‘M+ Sigg Collection: From Revolution to Globalisation’ chronicled the diversity of Chinese contemporary art across four decades from the 1970s to 2012. From the ’85 New Wave to the 1990s, artists began to engage with mediums beyond traditional painting and sculpture, such as video, performance, installation, and even conceptual art, mediums that were regarded as new and groundbreaking at the time.

Huang Yongping’s ‘Six Small Turntables’ blends principles from the ‘I Ching’ and Zen Buddhism, removing his own identity and traditions from the work and leaving elements of art-making entirely to chance. In ‘Water: Standard Version from the Cihai Dictionary’, Zhang Peili, who is considered as the father of video art in China, invited a newscaster to read entries about water and their definitions from the ‘Cihai’ dictionary, delivered in the signature tone of state-run television. These iconic works hold epochal implications for creative methodology and artistic language. Not only do they embody revolutionary aesthetics, but they also document the tides of social change. From collectivism to individual awakening, these pieces capture the breath of that era.

MO WU: (Mandarin) Artistic development accelerated after the 1990s. Against the backdrop of globalisation and the explosion of technological advancement, artists no longer tried to depict the world. Instead, they strove to resonate with it in the moment. We titled the exhibition ‘Another Story’ to explore new angles and methods of looking at Chinese contemporary art. The show’s timeframe was set in the 1990s, a decade marked most noticeably by the rise of a market economy and consumerist culture. Yet, we aspired to showcase art hidden beneath the mainstream works that demonstrate diversity in their artistic approaches and forms of expression.

ARIADNE LONG: (Cantonese) ‘Another Story’ explored artists’ reflections on cultural identity and their struggles during a new era amid rapid social reorientation and economic development from the 1990s to 2000. During the 1990s, Cynical Realism, Political Pop, and Kitsch emerged as the defining features of Chinese art within international art circles. In contrast, this exhibition aimed to offer a new perspective on Chinese contemporary art through visual language. Sun Yuan and Peng Yu’s ‘Old People’s Home’ presents thirteen life-like sculptures that resemble international military and political leaders bumping into one another in motorised wheelchairs. This work satirises how a small group of increasingly senseless people are determining the world order, reflecting the cycle of conflict in human destiny. Although both artists were confronted with tides of affluence, they captured another facet of globalisation by unveiling anxiety and fear brought about by ageing. Their shrewd insight and sharp critique are indicative of an international perspective.

After 2000, artists had to adjust their rhythm in order to be heard in the age of globalisation in China. ‘Inner Worlds’ delved into their artistic practices and transformation over several decades. Works were categorised not by an era or medium, but by emotional expression, adopting a humanistic approach. By analysing intellectual explorations in Chinese contemporary art, these artworks transcend conventional social and political narratives. Yue Minjun, a key figure in Cynical Realism, turned the classic laughing man of his painting into a group of sculptures titled ‘2000 A.D’. These figures’ grotesque laughing faces exude a sense of apprehension. Ai Weiwei’s ‘Fragments’ built a riveting scene, scraps salvaged from old temples that interrogate conventional aesthetics and the relationship between old and new ideals. These works show that Chinese contemporary artists no longer confine themselves to discussing identity politics. They developed rich and unique artistic languages and approaches that allowed them to actively participate in global art conversations.

MO WU: (Mandarin) In 2012, Swiss art collector Dr Uli Sigg donated the essence of his private Chinese contemporary art collection to M+. The M+ Sigg Collection became the museum’s founding collection. Following its first three exhibitions, namely ‘From Revolution to Globalisation’, ‘Another Story’, and ‘Inner Worlds’, the museum will continue to curate exhibitions of the collection and showcase its works across other programmes.