A triumphant comeback

Tadao Ando

At Fosun Foundation Shanghai, a retrospective exhibition of works by Japanese architect Tadao Ando is taking place until June 6.

The fourth destination of Ando's global tour, Tadao Ando: Endeavors Shanghai is the most comprehensive retrospective exhibition of the architect's career, according to Ma Weidong, one of the curators of the show.

The exhibition presents the extraordinary work of Ando over four chapters, showcasing reproductions of classic architecture works, architectural models, extensive design manuscripts, calligraphy seal cutting as well as a large number of exclusive documentaries, travel journals and photographs.

In a video clip screened at the opening ceremony, the 79-year-old architect praised Fosun's courage and dedication to producing a 1:1 reproduction of his design of the Church on the Water in Tomamu, Hokkaido, Japan.

"It will give visitors a more direct and vivid perception of my work, much better than the experience of seeing the pictures or models," he says.

Ando has three church projects in Japan. The Church of the Wind was built on a mountainside in Kobe, while the Church of the Light was built in a residential area near Osaka. The Church on the Water in Hokkaido is considered a landmark achievement for the architect.

The highlight of this exhibition includes models of a series of iconic buildings Ando created in China throughout the past decade, such as the Poly Theater in Jiading, Shanghai, the Liangzhu Cultural Heritage Center in Zhejiang province, and the He Museum in Shunde of Guangdong province.

A sister exhibition titled Beyond will kick off at the He Museum on March 30 and showcase works from 10 artists, including Pablo Picasso, Ellsworth Kelly and Richard Long, all of whom have influenced Ando's creative approach.