Matisse Exhibition Halted in Beijing as French Museum Refuses Loan

Advertised as the largest solo exhibition of the French modernist Henri Matisse in China, the upcoming “Matisse by Matisse” exhibition at the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art Beijing has been postponed after the Matisse Museum, in northern France, refused to loan 280 works to Beijing, citing China’s ties with Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine.

On February 25, the Nord department, which oversees the Matisse Museum in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, announced that it would suspend all cultural exchange with China due to China’s position in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The 280 artworks, including canvases, drawings, illustrated books, and sculptures, belong to the Matisse Museum, which the artist established in his hometown before his death in 1954. The department’s collaborations with other institutions in China are also suspended.

The president of the Nord department, Christian Poiret, also cited concerns over the safety of the artworks in the current geopolitical situation. According to the French media La Voix du Nord, Poiret said: “I have nothing against China, but there is a danger. Beijing did not condemn [the invasion of Ukraine]. If the conflict escalates, I do not wish that we are unable to recover our works.”

According to the statement by UCCA on March 3, the museum had noted the announcement made by the Nord department but has not received any official notice about the decision. All preparations for the show have been suspended. All pre-sold tickets will be refunded.

Originally scheduled to open from March 26 through June 26, the “Matisse by Matisse” exhibition was expected to feature around 300 artworks in total, covering the artist’s entire career and practices, and was scheduled to travel to UCCA Edge in Shanghai, running from July through October. UCCA said the museum is “actively working with partners in France in hopes of rescheduling the exhibition for a later date in both Beijing and Shanghai.”

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, France, along with members of NATO and other European countries, has condemned Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch a military invasion, while China has refrained from criticizing its ally and abstained from voting in a United Nations Security Council resolution that criticizes Russia’s military actions.