In March 2020, visual artist JJ Chan was preparing a video artwork for a group exhibition titled A New Constellation: Chinese Diaspora Now, set to be shown at the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art in Manchester. The piece explored Chan’s complex emotional relationship with Hong Kong, the birthplace of their parents. After the original curator left, Chan sought guidance and discovered that the gallery had a staff predominantly made up of white individuals, with most of the unpaid volunteers being of Chinese descent. Concerned that their work might be interpreted through a predominantly white perspective, Chan withdrew from the project and published an open letter criticizing the gallery for using their personal experiences and trauma to advance a group already overrepresented in the art world. Later that year, the organization tried to recruit seven Chinese artists to address the lack of diversity, but the initiative was canceled after the artists raised concerns about institutional racism. This led to an artist-led petition for an international boycott, resulting in the resignation of six board members and several employees. The gallery closed in 2020 due to the pandemic and never reopened. Two years later, in 2023, Shanghai-born artist Xiaowen Zhu relaunched the space under a new name, esea contemporary, which focuses on the broader East and Southeast Asian diaspora. Zhu assembled a new team of first- and second-generation migrants and redefined the gallery’s mission through community input, emphasizing connectedness in a divided world. As part of a year-long 40th-anniversary celebration, the gallery is hosting Two Improvisations, the first UK solo exhibition by London-based artist Chris Zhongtian Yuan, who was born in Wuhan, China. The exhibition also features an online series exploring the gallery’s transformation from a community-oriented Chinese arts festival to the UK’s only non-profit space dedicated to East and Southeast Asian-influenced art. Additionally, Japanese filmmaker Umi Ishihara’s experimental film Nocturnal Melody will preview on 9 October. Chris Zhongtian Yuan’s Two Improvisations is an experimental film that blends punk energy with Chinese folklore. The film features musicians whose lyrics explore themes of deception and marginalization, while a shadowy figure represents the Yeren, a mythical creature from Hubei. Alongside the film, Yuan displays architectural models of urban structures, some built in China and others handmade in the UK, displayed in the gallery’s foyer. Zhu sees this exhibition as a reflection of the dual reality of living between cultures and challenging traditional narratives. Yuan notes that punk is often not associated with Chinese people in the West, who are frequently stereotyped as reserved or powerful. He also highlights the stigma surrounding Wuhan, where he was born, and encourages viewers to question conventional ideas of rebellion in both China and Manchester. Zhu aims for esea contemporary to be a space where East and Southeast Asian artists can create without needing to justify their work. The gallery’s 40th-anniversary celebration includes an online series, 40 Years, 40 Voices, where artists and collaborators reflect on the gallery’s past and future. The space has evolved significantly from its earlier controversies, including its role in hosting political events in the 2010s. Zhu has re-rooted the institution in the local community, launching outreach programs that encourage East and Southeast Asian residents over 50 to create art and speak their native languages. She also invests in local talent, such as the events manager who once worked at a nearby Chinese store. By incorporating accessible art forms like video, music, food, and games, Zhu aims to attract a broader audience. As Gayle Chong Kwan, a former artist and boycott organizer, notes, the gallery has finally found its way back.