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HAPPENING 11 October 2024 – 31 August 2025 | The Wereldmuseum Rotterdam will host an exhibition titled 'Made in China,' exploring the historical and contemporary aspects of China's craftsmanship. The exhibition aims to reflect on the essence of making as an inherent human trait.
Exhibition on China's craftsmanship at Wereldmuseum
Starting 11 October 2024, the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam will present the exhibition 'Made in China.' This exhibition aims to explore the history and present state of Chinese craftsmanship (makerschap). It seeks to highlight the intrinsic connection between making and human nature, showing how people shape and reflect on the world around them.
Exploring Chinese craftsmanship
'Made in China' uses China as a case study to offer a fresh perspective on craftsmanship. The exhibition features a diverse mix of objects, timelines, art, fashion, photographs, and videos, illustrating China's rich and ongoing culture of making. The exhibition will also delve into the varied meanings of 'making' through the works of contemporary artists and designers such as Cao Fei, Susan Fang, Jing He, Ma Ke, Li Xiaofeng, and Yang Yongliang. These creators not only produce but also reflect on different aspects of making in their work.
Historical and modern perspectives
The production and global demand for objects made in China have a long history. The Wereldmuseum's exhibition will showcase various examples of renowned Chinese craftsmanship, techniques, and materials like porcelain, lacquerware, and painting. Contemporary Chinese makers will share personal stories and works that reflect on their world or aim to bring about change. The exhibition also places the art of copying, a well-known aspect of Chinese culture, in a broader historical context. It examines the development of mass production, which began in China over 3,000 years ago, from multiple perspectives.
The significance of 'Made in China'
The label 'Made in China' is the most common in the world. Chinese products, such as silk and porcelain, have been traded for thousands of years. The exhibition will present a timeline of significant milestones and turning points that have influenced Chinese craftsmanship. For instance, a painted earthenware storage jar from 4,500 years ago marks the transition from a hunter-gatherer culture to sedentary farming. Interactive maps will show historical and contemporary trade networks, from the ancient Silk Roads to the current Belt and Road Initiative. Objects found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, produced in China, will tell stories of supply and demand.
This object is a lacquered stationery box from China, dating back to the period between 1661 and 1722. It is part of the collection at the Wereldmuseum, with the reference number RV-1653-1.
Materials and techniques
China's history of making boasts a rich tradition of artisans, artists, and makers who skilfully work with materials such as lacquer, silk, porcelain, jade, and glass. Some materials were historically available only in China, leading to the development of expertise centres. 'Made in China' offers an overview of these specific materials and techniques, as well as centuries-old artistic disciplines such as calligraphy, ink painting, bamboo carving, textile art, and paper cutting. These cultural traditions are cherished and respected, while innovation and reinterpretation by contemporary makers are also highlighted.
Contemporary Chinese makers
Modern Chinese makers respond to the changing world and cultural traditions with their work. Artists, designers, and craftsmen featured in the exhibition show how they address social developments. Fashion designer Ma Ke, for instance, reacts to fast fashion by creating sustainable clothing using traditional materials and techniques. The makers at Yidesign have developed a method to reuse ceramic waste, which China produces in vast quantities annually. Chan Po-Fung creates new jewellery from broken jade bracelets, incorporating the fractures as cherished parts of the designs.
This artwork is a contemporary triptych by Yang Yongliang titled "Phantom Landscape III." Created in China in 2007, it is part of the collection at Wereldmuseum. The piece merges traditional Chinese landscape painting techniques with modern elements, creating an intriguing blend of the past and present.
Mass production
Mass production's history in China predates the Industrial Revolution by thousands of years. As early as the third century BCE, standardised production lines used modular design to efficiently produce large quantities of varied items. A notable example is the thousands of terracotta soldiers of the First Emperor. The exhibition includes life-sized reconstructions made with original materials, techniques, and colours.
However, the history of mass production also involves resource depletion, environmental pollution, and human exploitation. The exhibition invites reflection on who pays the price for cheap production and its impact on people and the environment. Photography by Lu Guang will depict environmental pollution in rural and industrial areas of China, and Cao Fei's video artwork 'Whose Utopia' poetically highlights the human labour behind one of the world's largest lamp manufacturers.
The art of copying
'Made in China' examines the concept of imitation and copying from a Chinese perspective, which traditionally does not distinguish between original and replica, nor attach value judgements to them. There is a long tradition of antiquarianism, where objects are copied not as forgeries, but as tributes to master makers of the past. In Buddhism, making copies is a way to earn merit and improve karma. The exhibition also explores how copying can stimulate innovation and democratise access. Techniques like woodblock printing (mubanshuiyinhua) developed in the last century to produce high-quality reproductions of traditional ink paintings.
Practical information
Address and directions
The 'Made in China' exhibition is open until 31 August 2025 at the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam. The museum is located at Willemskade 25, 3016 DM Rotterdam. It is situated along the Maas River, near the Erasmus Bridge. The area is accessible by public transport, including trams and metro, with the closest station being Leuvehaven.
