DRC No. 12 Foundation

The DRC No. 12 Foundation was established in Toronto in 2024 by Linda Li, alongside the founder, former organizer, and art committee members of the DRC No. 12 art space. Although the DRC No. 12 Foundation and art space of the same name are not organizationally connected, they operate in parallel —independent yet complementary.

As a non-profit organization dedicated to contemporary art, particularly that from China, the foundation continues the distinctive practices of the art space located in the Diplomatic Residence Compound in Beijing, aiming to expand its scope and reach beyond China. By adopting a modus operandi as a non-location-bound platform, it organizes exhibitions, events, and publications across China and internationally, maintaining a nomadic and fluid character.

Drawing from the initial conceptual ethos of the DRC No. 12 art space, the foundation remains committed to exploring peripheral spaces and interstitial realms – both physical and cultural – as its location of creativity, cultural discourses, and intellectual interrogation. It situates Chinese contemporary art within a broader international context, focusing on artists whose practices center on critical inquiries, examining historical conditions, contemporary contingencies, and their intersections, and whose approaches are often interrogative, experimental, and transgressive. While its focus is clearly defined, the foundation embraces eclectic and diverse methodologies.