“10–60” is a major international exhibition that spans both geography and generations. Drawn from Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei’s collection of global contemporary art, it presents representative works by nearly five hundred artists born between the 1910s and 1960s, with creation dates ranging from the 1930s to the present. The accompanying catalogue includes close to 500 works—one per artist—while the exhibition brings together nearly 200 selected pieces, collectively outlining a visual history that extends across more than half a century of artistic practice.

The exhibition unfolds in two parts. The first, “The Mind of Abstraction,” focuses on works that explore color, line, and materiality as independent means of expression. The second, “The Journey of Figuration,” presents works depicting the human figure, landscape, and scenes of daily life. Through these two parallel yet interwoven threads—abstraction and figuration—the exhibition reflects on how artists, as individuals, have chosen to respond to the tides of transformation that have defined the modern era, particularly since the mid-twentieth century. From the reconstruction and introspection that followed the ruins of war, to the questions and reconfigurations brought forth by globalization, artists have either turned inward to seek the essence of spirit and form, or outward to confront the conditions of body and society. Together, they have shaped the visual consciousness of their age and offered profound meditations on the world we share.

To step into this exhibition is to enter a world of extraordinary vitality and multiplicity—a living tableau of global art in motion. Here, “abstraction” and “figuration” are not merely stylistic distinctions, but two enduring philosophical paths toward perceiving reality and expressing existence. Visitors will witness the evolving language of abstraction as it extends across the decades, as well as the persistent renewal of realism, which has never ceased to reinvent itself. Ultimately, “10–60” seeks to reveal how our understanding of the past may illuminate the present—and, perhaps, allow us to see it anew.

The Mind of Abstraction

“The Mind of Abstraction” draws us into a realm of pure visual experience. Here, color, line, and material take center stage as the true agents of artistic expression. Freed from the burden of representation, they turn inward—seeking the essence of form and the resonance of spirit. This section features nearly one hundred works by artists from across the globe, spanning painting, sculpture, installation, and more. It traces the evolution of abstraction—from the postwar reimagining of form to the open-ended exploration of medium, concept, and perception in our globalized age. Some artists surrender to the spontaneous gestures of the subconscious; others are absorbed by the tactile and physical qualities of matter; still others pursue a metaphysics of pure geometry. Together, their practices register both an inward response to times of profound transformation and a continual expansion of art’s expressive boundaries. Here, art is no longer a vehicle for depiction, but an autonomous voice—one that creates a space for reflection, connecting the inner spirit with the greater order of the cosmos.

The Journey of Figuration

“The Journey of Figuration” is an ongoing journey through the ever-evolving act of depiction. Here, the human figure, the landscape, and scenes of everyday life take center stage—not as faithful replicas of the visible world, but as complex vessels imbued with social reflection, psychological depth, and conceptual inquiry. Amid the rise of abstraction and conceptual art, figuration has never truly receded. Instead, it has continually reinvented itself, revealing new layers of critical insight and philosophical resonance. Some artists use the precision of realism to question the line between truth and fiction in history; others turn to metaphor and symbolism to expose the psychological tensions of contemporary existence; still others weave the realities of society directly into their compositions, transforming figuration into a prism through which to explore the body, identity, and power. In this gallery, viewers move through a world built from images—each work a distinct act of seeing. Together, they invite us to reconsider a timeless question: through our depictions of the “other” and the “world,” how do we come to a deeper understanding of ourselves?