New American Embassy in Beijing to Feature Contemporary Art

BEIJING—The new American Embassy in Beijing, set to open shortly before the Olympics, will display works by numerous prominent American and Chinese contemporary artists, the Art Newspaper reports. The collection, much of which was commissioned and purchased by the State Department, includes work by Maya Lin, Cai Guo-Qiang, Betty Woodman, Yun-Fei Ji, Jeff Koons, Hai Bo, and Martin Puryear. Chief curator for the Art in Embassies program Virgina Shore emphasized diplomacy and cultural connection in her selection of artists.

All of the works in the collection are owned by the State Department, with the exception of Jeff Koons' steel sculpture Tulips, which will be shown in the embassy on a ten-year loan from the artist. Friends of Art and Preservation in Embassies donated sculpture by Mark DiSuvero, Ellsworth Kelly, and Louise Bourgeois.

The August 8 unveiling ceremony of the $550 million complex will be attended by President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, who will be in Beijing for the opening of the Olympics.