Map of the Theater of the World

Identifier: 2017.48
Title: Map of the Theater of the World
Description: Qiu created Map of “Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World,” a five-panel ink-on-paper map that charts the history of art and political movements covered in the exhibition.3 Qiu is well suited for this task; he has made many conceptual maps that diagram ideas and concepts rather than physical places.

Mapmaking is one of the fundamental ways humans are able to imagine the world. Through maps, the unknown is made visible and understandable. Qiu uses the histories and techniques of mapmaking together with an ancient Chinese tradition of mapping imaginary places to create a conceptual territory that represents the subject matter and time period of the exhibition.
Artist: Qiu Zhijie
Date: 2017
Subject: Drawing
Medium: pen and ink drawings
Dimensions: six panels, 94 1/2 inches x 23 feet 7 7/16 inches (240 x 720 cm) overall
Rights: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Gift of the artist with additional funds contributed by the International Director’s Council, 2017
Source: Map of the Theater of the World: 2017.48