Design Society in Shenzhen, steered by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, unveils four galleries this month, with two to follow in 2018.
Design Society, the long-awaited museum project developed by China Merchants Shekou (CMSK) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, opens tomorrow (2 December) in the Shekou district of Shenzhen, just north of Hong Kong. The Rmb 1.3bn ($200m) initiative, eight years in the making, is ground-breaking on a number of levels. Though Chinese and international museums have rushed to exchange exhibitions, Design Society is the first new venue to involve a foreign institution in all aspects of its creation. China’s first dedicated design museum also contains the first-ever gallery to explore the country’s Reform and Opening period.