Guy Ullens, Founding Force Behind Beijing’s UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Has Died
Guy Ullens at UCCA, Beijing (2007). Courtesy UCCA.
The founder of Beijing‘s UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Baron Guy Ullens, has died at the age of 90.
The gallery announced the Belgian businessman turned philanthropist died peacefully at home on 19 April, and will be remembered as a champion for the arts in China.
Ullens played a pioneering role in China’s contemporary art scene, establishing UCCA with his late wife, Myriam Ullens, in 2007.
In its time, the centre has sustained its role as a catalyst in advancing a new generation of artists—even following the 2017 transfer of ownership from the Ullens Foundation to a Chinese company.
Reflecting on Ullens’ vision and lasting impact, UCCA director Philip Tinari remarked, ‘UCCA, which he conceived and nurtured through its first decade, has highlighted hundreds of artists, inspired millions of visitors, and launched countless careers.’ —[O]
Main image: Guy Ullens at UCCA, Beijing (2007). Courtesy UCCA.
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