"I don't believe in a fixed style or methodology" says Ma Yansong in talk with Aric Chen

Wide view of the exhibition setup with large-scale models and projection screen

MAD founder Ma Yansong discusses a range of projects featured in a solo exhibition at Rotterdam's Nieuwe Instituut with curator Aric Chen in this recorded conversation produced by Dezeen.

Chen, who curated the exhibition, led the discussion, which coincided with the final month of the exhibition's run.

A wide shot of the exhibition hall at the Nieuwe Instituut showing large-scale models, screens and visitors — Ma Yansong: Architecture and Emotion is on show at the Nieuwe Instituut

In the talk, Ma remarked upon the variety of scales and styles amongst the projects exhibited, and commended Chen for curating an exhibition with a narrative that draws them together.

"I don't believe in a style, or some kind of a fixed methodology," said Ma over Zoom. "We work on shapes, but we have all different kinds of shapes. I appreciate that you can help us to understand ourselves more."

Large-scale model in open gallery — Exhibited works explore MAD's fluid forms and integration of nature across urban contexts

On view at the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam until 12 October 2025, the show traces MAD's evolution through 27 projects presented in seven themed chapters.

Chen, who was until recently general and artistic director of the Niewe Instituut, curated the show with Tijn van de Wijdeven and Emily Wijns.

Exterior view of the Nieuwe Instituut with pond and trees — The show is the first solo exhibition of MAD's work in the Netherlands

The exhibition uses models, drawings and multimedia to tell the story of MAD's work under the leadership of Ma alongside partners Dang Qun and Yosuke Hayano.

The conversation took in themes explored in the exhibition, including the atmosphere of potential in the 1990s in China, MAD's balance of futuristic and traditional aesthetics, and the social functions behind the studio's characteristic outlandish forms.

China's explosive 1990s

Chen situated MAD's meteoric rise within the context of China's massive cultural and economic growth in the 1990s, establishing Ma as part of a second wave of newly-minted private architectural practices that were building a reputation for China both at home and abroad.

"Until the 1990s in China, it was all state design institutes," he said. "It really was a very important cultural moment. There was a sense of endless possibility."

Interior exhibition shot with two tall tower model — MAD's design for the Absolute Towers in Toronto is one of the exhibited projects

The pair discussed how the fertile creative and economic environment of China paved the way for Ma's varied experiments with form – some of which, according to Chen, are so outlandish that visitors to the exhibition didn't believe they were real.

"One person told me that we should have made it clear that almost all the projects in the show are actually built, or almost built, because so many people didn't believe it," he said. "They thought these were all speculative proposals."

Ma went on to suggest that the environment in China was becoming less conducive to such experimental projects.

"In the last 20 years we experienced a very positive period in China, but I feel now it is more difficult," he stated.

Looking to the past to design the future

Amongst the other themes explored in the exhibition is MAD's balance of traditional and futuristic aesthetics.

In order to create an architectural style for China's future, Ma drew from the past by invoking shan shui, a style of traditional Chinese painting that depicts natural landscapes using brush and ink.

The exhibition includes Ma's concept of the Shan Shui city

"When everyone thinks about it, China is about tradition, it's about the past," he claimed. "And then when we do contemporary designs, people think, oh, that's from the west. What about the new, future China? Where is it?"

"In China, cities and architecture look the same as American buildings, concrete buildings which are totally different from our traditional gardens, architecture and cities that are really close to nature," he said. "So what about our future? Maybe we should have this new kind of architecture called the Shan Shui city."

Little girl in red jacket viewing the Absolute Towers model — Visitors can view MAD's sculptural models

Exploring the way MAD brings new approaches to historical sites, Chen and Ma pointed to the example the studio's design for the Fenix Museum of Migration in Rotterdam, which opened earlier this year and features in the exhibition.

"I loved the old building, the neighbourhood, the old Chinatown, and all this history, but we needed to bring something new, so this narrative about migration doesn't stay in the past, but something also related to us and people in the future" Ma explained.

Exterior view of the Fenix Museum of Migration with mirrored spiral form — The exhibition coincides with the opening of MAD's Fenix Museum of Migration

"The building was a very heavy structure, monumental and too heavy, but when you talk about migration, this topic is all about movement," he continued.

"We needed to bring some change – to bring natural light, some movement. Let people feel that this is not only about the past, but about now and the future. So we designed this staircase that also looked like a moving sculpture."

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen as part of a partnership with MAD. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

Ma Yansong: Architecture and Emotion is on show at the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam until 11 October 2025. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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