Appointment Announcement
Taikang Art Museum (TAM) is pleased to announce the appointments of Chen Rui as the Art Resources Development Director and Shirley Liu as the TAM Plus Director & Chief Curator. Both will be based full-time in Beijing, China, and will work together to lead a comprehensive upgrade of the museum’s systems, focusing on art philanthropy services and cross-disciplinary exhibition collaborations. Drawing on their extensive professional expertise in the art sector, they will collaborate closely with the TAM team to create a stronger operational framework and enhance the museum’s overall institutional capabilities.
Chen Rui, a graduate of Renmin University of China and has previously served as the Secretary-General of the UCCA Foundation in Beijing. He has developed over 100 art philanthropy curricula and delivered more than 500 sessions, benefiting over 96,000 disadvantaged participants. His related programs have garnered over 600 million media impressions and secured more than 30 million RMB in charitable funding. Since 2018, Chen has collaborated with institutions such as the China Rural Development Foundation and the Red Cross Foundation of China to launch notable initiatives like the “Add Oil Plan” and “Yellow House”. He has implemented art philanthropy programs across more than 100 regions in 12 provinces nationwide. Earlier in his career, Chen worked as the Youth League Committee Secretary and art instructor at the Chaoyang Campus of Renmin University of China, receiving numerous municipal and district-level awards for excellence in arts education.
Shirley Liu, a graduate of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. She started her career at Taikang Space before serving as Curator and Artistic Director at UCCA Lab, where she managed and curated a roster of landmark art projects presented nationwide. Her signature curatorial projects include: The Ongoing Future, AI Art Experience at Lenovo Future Center (2025); the “Ran Ran” Young Artist Incubation Program (2022–2025); Sailing Home, the opening exhibition of Zhoushan Art Museum (2024); and the group show The Pieces I am at UCCA Edge (2022). Her curatorial practice focuses on the symbiotic fusion of contemporary art, urban life, and commercial culture. Her earlier experience at international 4A marketing communications agencies grants her a unique strategic vision and systematic methodologies to construct cross-sector collaborative ecosystems bridging art, commerce, and public spaces.
On sharing their visions for their new roles, Chen Rui noted that within the dynamic ecosystem of Taikang Art Museum, he aims to build exclusive, dedicated frameworks for the institution’s art philanthropy programs and resource networks through innovative thinking, expanding the museum’s social impact across the arts philanthropy landscape. Shirley Liu shared that she will leverage TAM Plus as a platform to build a diverse range of cross-disciplinary art initiatives. Her goal is to let art flow through the Taikang ecosystem and into public life, advancing aesthetic education and cultural outreach across industries and communities—and making art a living cultural presence that every “TA” can encounter, participate in, and help shape.
Hu Hao, the Head and Deputy Artistic Director of Taikang Art Museum, warmly welcomed Chen Rui and Shirley Liu to the team. “We are thrilled to have them join TAM,” he stated. “Chen brings valuable expertise in art philanthropy operations and resource coordination, while Shirley has extensive cross-disciplinary curatorial experience and sharp industry insights. Their distinct strengths will create a strong complementary synergy. Both uphold rigorous academic ideals and a deep commitment to public service, allowing the museum to fully integrate its three core pillars—exhibitions, cross-sector programs, and art philanthropy—and further enhance its social value.”