Prada presents a new exhibition project in Shanghai by artist Theaster Gates 

Artist Theaster Gates will be at the centre of a new artistic project in Shanghai titled “China Cabinet” supported by Fondazione Prada.
The artist will intervene in Prada Rong Zhai, a historic house in the Chinese metropolis built in 1918 and restored by Prada, which reopened it in 2017.

For the occasion, Gates will propose a never-before-seen interpretation of the building’s space, revealing all the different identities feeding his research: the work as a ceramist, the visual artist, the professor. He has conceived a three-chapter narration unveiling in the rooms of the first floor through a series of ceramic pieces. 

The first chapter highlights the main topics in Gates’ practice through a series of pottery displayed in windows. The second one is a site-specific installation divided into two sections: the first features his works displayed as in a shop of Chinese porcelain, while the second is a reproduction of his laboratory. The third chapter represents the complete appropriation of the house by the artist, now displaying the pieces as he was in its actual home. 

The narration is a metaphor of the artist’s path, turning from a guest of the house to its owner.

The exhibition will be on view from March 11 – May 23, 2021.