Ando Museum Set to Open in China

Founded by He Jianfeng, son of He Xiangjian, co-founder of Midea and one of the richest people in China, HEM house much of the He family's art: more than 500 works, with an emphasis on Chinese modern art, and Chinese and international contemporary art. Located in Shunde, Guangdong, in the Pearl River Delta, the museum is meant to fit into the area's traditional Lingnan architectural culture. 

Per the HEM website, "Anient Chinese cosmology and philosophy believed the sky was round and divine; the earth was flat and square – this has had a profound influence on ancient architectural theories and design, and it is still preserved by some of the architectures today in Lingnan region." Accordingly, the design by the Pritzker Prize-winning Tadao Ando is dominated by a 16,000-square-meter circular form that grows from bottom to top, much like Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Guggenheim Museum. Inside are exhibition spaces, bookstore, and cafe connected by a double-helix pair of staircases made from concrete.

Intended to open on March 20, the coronavirus pandemic postponed the opening until October 1, when From the Mundane World, as originally planned, will be the inaugural exhibition.