The Long Museum Chongqing is now holding an opening exhibition titled 100 Years of Chinese Art which has gathered 137 iconic Chinese artworks. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

Liu went on to praise his wife for her efforts as the general director of all three Long Museums and joked how he was getting used to being identified as "the husband of Ms Wang Wei, head of the Long Museum".

Unlike Liu, Wang has a greater affinity with modern art. Her personal collection spans art pieces from the early 20th century as well as Chinese and Asian contemporary art. Wang said that she hopes she can introduce more cutting-edge artists like that Eliasson to the wider public in China with the opening of Long Museum in Chongqing.

As the curator of Long Museum Chongqing's opening exhibition, titled 100 Years of Chinese Art, Wang has gathered 137 iconic Chinese artworks from 1911 to 2011 that are presented in five chapters to form a linear narrative.

The exhibition, which is presented across three halls spanning 5,000 square meters, begins with works from the early 20th century when modern and western art were introduced to China and shows audiences the process of how modern art in China gradually developed its own distinctive style.

The exhibition also explains how the founding of the new China in 1949 brought about drastic changes to China's art scene and how it was used as a major political tool to highlight the accomplishments of national leaders as well as the people's efforts in nation-building.

The showcase then features some important artworks from the 1980s when China began to open up to the world and they reflect how Chinese artists were inspired and even overwhelmed by the influx of western art, fashion and ideas.

Among the exhibits are landmark paintings printed in China's official textbooks for school children, iconic images in Chinese art history, as well as paintings that sold for record-breaking prices over the past few years.