Then and Now
Life and Dreams Revisited

The Walther Collection presents Then and Now: Life and Dreams Revisited, an exhibition that extends the Collection’s ongoing survey of Chinese photography since 2017. Curated by Christopher Philips in 2018, Life and Dreams: Contemporary Chinese Photography and Media Art was the first extensive exhibition of works by Chinese artists represented in the collection.

The second iteration combines early 20th century travel photography of China with groundbreaking works by 31 internationally renowned artists such as Ai Weiwei, Song Dong, Rong Rong, Yang Fudong, and Zhang Huan, as well as a presentation of works by a younger generation of artists, such as Lu Yang and Lin Zhipeng. Juxtaposing historical and contemporary Chinese photography, Then and Now illustrates the epochal changes that have not only transformed China’s rural and urban habitats in recent decades, but also essential aspects of social relationships and everyday life.