Cofounders of Beijing’s millennial-focused X Museum, Michael Xufu Huang and Theresa Tse, have announced the postponement of the opening ceremony of the museum and its inaugural triennial which was due to take place on 15 March. The decision was made in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak which has seen China cancel flights to and from the country, as well as cities in lockdown. The director of CAFA Art Museum (CAFAM), Zhang Zikang, also released a public statement explaining the delayed opening of the first CAFAM Techne Triennial: ‘To reduce mass gathering amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, CAFAM will postpone the CAFAM Techne Triennial 2020 and has suspended its preparations for the exhibition. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this change, and hope that you understand the unexpected and complex situation we are facing.’
Various other institutions, galleries and fairs have also announced the postponement of upcoming events: Design Shanghai, which was due to take place in March, has been postponed and will now be held between 26–29 May. David Zwirner’s Hong Kong gallery will delay the upcoming Luc Tuymans exhibition and may relocate the show to another of its sites. The new He Art Museum in Guangdong, due to open in March, has postponed the event. Gallery Weekend Beijing, originally scheduled to be held between 13–20 March has postponed the event, and will review the status of the art weekend on 15 March, stating ‘if conditions remain severe, Gallery Weekend Beijing will officially cancel its 2020 edition’.
30 January 2020
