Galleries 326 & 333–336
Main Building
Rediscover four thousand years of the art of China in our newly reimagined and reinstalled Chinese galleries. Go deeper into the stories behind the objects, grouped thematically in four eye-opening sections: Belief in the Afterlife, Nature and Self-Cultivation, Exchanges with the West, and Order in the Imperial Court.
The new installation features recently conserved works, improved lighting, and a wide variety of objects, including a stunning collection of costumes and textiles, photographs, and contemporary art on view together for the first time.
Blue-and-White Porcelain Plates by Ai Weiwei
In gallery 335, a series of plates by contemporary Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei comments on the forced migration of millions of people during the recent global refugee crisis. The artist can relate to feelings of displacement—the artist and his family were exiled to western China during the Cultural Revolution of 1966–76.