60 People, 60 Stories

Catching up with itself and the rest

By Karen Smith (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-30 10:14

The Chinese contemporary art scene today is, in so many ways, everything it dreamed of becoming.

This is an astonishing achievement considering that the entire scene emerged from nothing in the mid-1980s and for a fleeting moment recently took the world by storm.

To many, it reads like a dream come true: A tale of rags-to-riches that vindicates the human spirit and the human urge to express itself through art.

Following the unprecedented demand and sales volume that unfolded from 2006 until the economic crisis, we can still say that China's contemporary art scene has achieved a measure of progress, modernity and success. Today, major cities across the country each own art districts, art zones, or art villages, as well as a mass of studios and galleries.

The art community also produces a packed schedule of exhibitions, including biennales, triennials, and festivals that take place nationwide.

As a witness to this astonishing feat through the last 17 years, I believe it is also true to say that China's contemporary artists should be credited with exerting a significant influence upon what has become known and recognized as "Chinese" or "China" today to the outside world.

Behind the explosive rise of the market, we can find a range of assumptions and attitudes about China, Chinese art and culture that are at odds with domestic attitudes and readings of the same scene.

China's contemporary artists continue to flourish and to move forward.

Today, the masters of the early group of pioneers are joined by new generations of younger artists, whose experiences of the world and of China are very different.

While it thrills me to see young artists producing work that reflects contemporary Chinese society and issue in ever more profound and creative ways, people unfamiliar with China clearly find it harder to read these innovations and are thus less ready to share such enthusiasm.

With current financial headaches and funding issues a primary distraction for the international art world, the contemporary art world in China is presented with a moment to catch up with itself.

There is reason to re-examine recent strategies in the light of what will certainly be another tumultuous yet exciting 30 years ahead.

Karen Smith is a veteran art critic and historian in Chinese contemporary art.