People visiting Daniel Arsham: Sands of Time, an ongoing exhibition at UCCA Dune until Oct 10, will feel as if they had entered the showrooms of classical Greek and Roman sculptures at world-class museums, such as the Louvre. They are surrounded by sculptural masterpieces depicting Lorenzo de Medici, the Florentine art patron; Ares Borghese, the Roman god of war; and Diana, the goddess of wild animals and the hunt. 

But a closer look at these objects, made of eroded crystal and bronze, will create confusion among the audience: The sculptures appear to be in a state of decay, as if they had just been excavated from the earth. This bewilderment of confronting the past and present in one instance is what New York-based Artist Arsham aims for in his work. 

The exhibition of sculptures and drawings displays his fascination with history as well as the impact of time and future. The surreal and captivating atmosphere is enhanced by the setting of the works at UCCA Dune, an art museum built by making full use of a sand dune in the Aranya Gold Coast Community, by the Bohai Sea in Beidaihe, Hebei province.