The exhibition 'Ma Yansong: Architecture and Emotion' at the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam highlights the impact of MAD's architectural approach, coinciding with the launch of the Fenix Museum of Migration. Curated by Aric Chen, the exhibition serves as a continuation of discussions between him and Ma Yansong, showcasing historical contexts and contemporary works. It traces the origins of architecture in China since the 1990s, featuring significant installations like the creative salons that influenced urban visions during China’s building boom. The display emphasizes emotional connections and innovative perspectives in architecture.
"With the opening of Fenix here in Rotterdam, it was a great chance to finally do an exhibition together," Chen tells designboom. "Ma and I have had quite a number of conversations, both formally and informally. I always felt like we needed to continue it. I was always left wanting more."
"There were no private architecture firms allowed until the 1990s," explains Aric Chen of the Nieuwe Instituut. "Ma is part of that second generation of Chinese architects. It's really remarkable to see how quickly things took off."
A central installation expands upon MAD's 2008 publication MAD Dinner, a document of creative gatherings the founders held during China's early 2000s building boom. These interdisciplinary salons gave rise to speculative urban visions - a Tiananmen Square reimagined as a park, an aquarium seen through the perspective of a fish - which now appear in model form, offering insight into the studio's earliest attempts to reframe public space and identity.
Among the most anticipated works on view is MAD's design for the Fenix Museum.
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