Beneath Guangzhou’s sprawling skyline, stands a beacon of artistic innovation. This is the Guangdong Times Museum. Founded in 2003, it began as a branch of the Guangdong Museum of Art. It was located in Times Rose Garden. Fast forward to December 31, 2010. The Guangdong Times Museum became an independent entity. It opened its doors to the public.
The Guangdong Times Museum is not your typical art institution. It is a nonprofit. Private sectors fund it. Times China has been the core funder since the beginning. The museum plays a vital public role. It showcases art’s social cycle. Each year, the Guangdong Times Museum hosts several exhibitions. Four to six shows are typically featured in the gallery space. The museum introduces many artists. It displays their artworks to Guangzhou. It also commissions more than a dozen new pieces.
But here’s a lesser-known fact. In 2005, Wang Huangsheng, Hou Hanru, and Hans-Ulrich Obrist invited Rem Koolhaas and Alain Fouraux. They conceptualized an architectural proposal. This happened in the D-Lab of the 2nd Guangzhou Triennial. This incubated the museum as a hub. It was a hub for artistic experiments in the Pearl River Delta region.
The Guangdong Times Museum extends beyond Guangzhou. In November 2018, it launched Times Art Center Berlin. This served as its European counterpart. Times China also supported this expansion. The Guangdong Times Museum fosters a vital cultural landscape. It is part of the Greater Bay Area. It embraces its communities both locally and internationally. The museum helps artists present critical ideas. It supports them in producing ambitious works. It connects thinkers, artists and initiatives across regions. This makes the museum a great place for art lovers. It is a good place for cultural producers too.
The Guangdong Times Museum faced challenges. In 2022, the museum announced it would close. This was after almost 19 years. Strict lockdowns and other Covid controls hurt the property sector. Times China spent a lot on the museum since 2010. It ended its partnership with the Guangdong Museum of Art. It established a non-profit. This was to manage the Times Museum independently. The museum aimed to reopen in some form.
Despite these hurdles, the Guangdong Times Museum remains a landmark. It inspires unexpected learning. It gives worldly experiences. Its focus on curation and research is significant. It has helped shape the art scene. The Guangdong Times Museum focuses on southern China. It also focuses on Southeast Asia and the Global South. It once hosted a retrospective of the Big Tail Elephant collective. This inspired a younger generation of artists. The museum also created the research network All the Way South. This explored the Global South through research and dialogue.
The Guangdong Times Museum strives to indigenize the language of contemporary art. It has become a cultural landmark. It is a place where people discover art. It is a place where they connect with each other.