Qi was elected the honorary dean of Beijing Fine Art Academy when it was established in May 1957, about four months before he died. The academy holds an abundant collection of Qi's works and documents and administers Qi's former residence, a siheyuan-style courtyard which is now a museum.

The exhibition marks the 20th anniversary of the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy, an occasion that the academy's head Wu Hongliang wants to mark by mounting a unique and unprecedented show that would have struck a chord in the heart of Qi if he were alive to see it.

The theme stemmed from a poem of Qi's which expressed his admiration for his three artistic heroes in a way no less significant than idol worship in pop culture today.