Chinese Avant-Garde Artists Exhibition: Exceptional Passage – Documents from 1991

‘Chinese Avant-Garde Artists Exhibition: Exceptional Passage’ was an art project organised by Shingo Yamano – now the director of Koganecho Bazaar – in Fukuoka back in 1991. It attracted significant attention in its day, both for introducing contemporary Chinese art by the likes of Cai Guo-Qiang to completely new audiences and for its pioneering approach to connecting the art on display with the local community.

This look back at what ended up being a landmark exhibition in Sino–Japanese art history was initially held in Quanzhou, Fujian province – Cai’s hometown – in winter 2025. Curated by Fei Dawei and featuring letters, photographs, video and other records of the 1991 exhibition as documented by five artists including Cai and Huang Yong Ping, the show provides a fascinating peek into the early careers of these now world-famous artists.