Pace Beijing to Present Four Decades of Fashion and Portraits of Designer
Diane von Furstenberg
Exhibition Includes New Works by Leading Contemporary Chinese Artists
Zhang Huan, Hai Bo, Li Songsong, and Yi Zhou
First Exhibition of Western Artists at Pace Beijing since Inaugural Show in 2008
NEW YORK, December 20, 2010—Pace Beijing is pleased to announce an exhibition of portraits of
designer, muse, collector, and icon Diane von Furstenberg by some of the most celebrated artists of the
past four decades, along with a retrospective of DVF fashion spanning the last forty years. Featuring
portraits by artists including Andy Warhol, Francesco Clemente, and Helmut Newton, as well as new
works by major contemporary Chinese artists, Diane von Furstenberg: Journey of a Dress will be the
first exhibition at Pace Beijing to include Western art since Encounters, the gallery’s 2008 inaugural
show, which juxtaposed portraits by Western and Chinese artists. Diane von Furstenberg: Journey of
a Dress will be on view at Pace Beijing, located in the 798 District of the Chinese capital, from April 2
through May 14, 2011.
The exhibition will feature new portraits of Diane von Furstenberg by four leading figures in Chinese
contemporary artists—conceptual artist Zhang Huan, photographer Hai Bo, painter Li Songsong, and
multimedia artist Yi Zhou—resulting in a dialogue that brings the narrative of Diane’s ongoing
collaborations with visual artists into the global age of the twenty-first century. Zhang Huan, Hai Bo
and Li Songsong have previously been the subjects of solo shows at Pace Beijing.
Pace Beijing was the first American art gallery to open in the Chinese capital and is among the largest
privately-owned galleries in the world, with 25,000 square-feet of exhibition space.
Diane von Furstenberg: Journey of a Dress will feature a custom-made entrance by Francesco
Clemente, fusing maps of New York and Beijing. The exhibition installation will be designed by Bill
Katz, who was also the architect for Pace’s fourth and newest gallery space at 510 West 25th Street in
New York.
“China is the cradle of our civilization and has always inspired me tremendously. I first visited in the
1980s, and subsequent trips left a great impression on me. It is an honor to now engage with the
country’s art community,” said von Furstenberg. “China is a major part of our future, and its art is
already some of the most exciting being made worldwide. I am delighted to be a part of this exhibition
at Pace Beijing.”
In addition to spanning four decades of portraiture, The Journey of a Dress tells the story of the
remarkable life, career, and fashion designs of Diane von Furstenberg. Arranged by decade, the
exhibition begins with the original DVF wrap dress from 1973, a piece of clothing so revolutionary that
it landed the 29 year-old designer on the cover of Newsweek. The dress has remained a staple of
women’s wardrobes since its introduction and the designs that followed over the next four decades will
be paired with paintings and photographs by celebrated artists including Mario Testino and François-
Marie Banier. The exhibition will include over 60 vintage and contemporary dresses from Diane’s
personal archives along with letters, photographs and ephemera that evoke specific moments in Diane’s
history—from a Francesco Scavullo photo from the height of the disco era at Studio 54 to the Obama
family’s 2009 Christmas portrait by Annie Leibovitz featuring First Lady Michelle Obama in the very
same DVF wrap dress that began the story.
The works of art created specifically for this exhibition are the first portraits of Diane by Chinese artists.
Zhang Huan (b. 1965) will create three ash paintings―a labor-intensive process using ashes collected
from Buddhist temples in Shanghai and then sorted into piles of different colors and applied to
canvas―of an American flag, a Chinese flag, and a portrait of Diane inspired by fashion photographer
Peter Lindbergh’s photograph of her for the October 2009 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. Li Songsong (b.
1973), known for his thick impasto paintings, will render the designer’s likeness in an oil portrait based
on a photograph that appeared on the cover of Interview magazine in March 1977. Hai Bo (b. 1962)
recently photographed Diane at his studio in the outskirts of Beijing. Mulitmedia installation artist Yi
Zhou will create an original video work inspired by Diane for the exhibition.
About Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Furstenberg first arrived in the fashion world in 1972 with her iconic wrap dress, the seed of
what is today a full fashion house. By 1976, Diane had sold millions of her dresses, coming to
symbolize female power and freedom to an entire generation. In 1997, after a hiatus from fashion, Diane
reemerged on the New York fashion scene with the re-launch of the dress that had started it all. Today,
DVF is a global lifestyle luxury brand with 40 freestanding DVF boutiques worldwide, and the
collection includes ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags, accessories, eyewear, swim, DVF by H. Stern fine
jewelry and watches, rugs, home and luggage.
A firm believer in the infinite power of women, Diane sits on the board of Vital Voices, a women’s
leadership organization that empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the
world. In 2005, Diane was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion
Designers of America (CFDA) for her impact on fashion, and one year later, was elected the CFDA’s
new president, an office she continues to hold. In 2010 she established The DVF Awards with The
Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation to honor women who have displayed leadership, strength,
and courage in their commitment to their causes.
About The Pace Gallery
Pace Beijing is an affiliate of The Pace Gallery, a leading contemporary art gallery exhibiting some of
the most significant international artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Pace Gallery, which
celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, has four locations in New York in addition to Pace Beijing.
The gallery has plans to open exhibition spaces in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and London.
For more information about Diane von Furstenberg: Journey of a Dress, please contact The Pace
Gallery’s press office at 212.421.8987.