Nanjing Golden Eagle Art Museum

The Nanjing Golden Eagle Art Museum is located on the 52nd floor of Tower A, Golden Eagle World, Hexi, Nanjing. Founded in 2020, this museum keeps such a low profile that finding the direct elevator to the entrance requires some effort.

During today's visit, a small solo exhibition was on display: "Rehearsal in the Mist"—a solo art exhibition by Chen Wei. According to public information, this contemporary artist, who focuses on photography, installation, and video art, typically presents his work through staged installations and reconstructed scenarios captured in photography. The more than ten works in this exhibition explore how individuals might re-establish their connection with the world when the subject yields to circumstance and when perception precedes semantics.

One piece in the exhibition stood out: a staircase positioned at the center of the frame, where a building entrance would normally appear behind it—yet none exists. The steps are adorned with several umbrellas, yet the individuals who would typically utilize them remain unseen. This piece is a quintessential example of the absent subject—stripped of everyday context, it presents a theatricalized image. When the individual subject disappears, how might a de-centered, more expansive subjectivity emerge? This is not the death of the subject but rather a transformation of form and structure—one that opens up possibilities for reconstructing a sense of the public within a fragmented reality. (The last two sentences of that reading are actually drawn from the exhibition's preface; how each visitor interprets the work is, of course, left to them.)

Overall, this is a visually approachable exhibition. Every piece features a harmonious color palette that works beautifully with the darkened gallery environment. The backlit presentation gives visitors a genuinely immersive experience.

Visitors can tour the entire exhibition in about half an hour with the complimentary audio guide. You can buy a ticket for 45 RMB, which comes in the form of a postcard with postage included.