Over the past two decades, contemporary art from China has burst onto the global stage having received ever-increasing attention in the international art press, in museum exhibitions internationally and in university-level art history courses. The vibrant and thought-provoking works have captured the attention of international critics, museum curators and students the world over.
The development of contemporary Chinese art began from the late 1970s onwards. It is defined more generally in the context of post-Cultural Revolution Chinese society, politics and Globalisation. The label ‘Chinese contemporary art’ encompasses a rich, ever-evolving artistic terrain that took root after 1976, sprouting new modes of expression that have flourished and continually reinvented themselves over past four decades. Its basic characteristics include persistent experimentation and social engagement, and a strong disposition towards internationalisation.
Chinese contemporary art emerged as a domestic phenomenon in the late 1970s and into the 1980s, and its subsequent development has been closely related to China’s social and economic transformation. Artists who emigrated in the 1980s and 1990s were often key participants in the early avant-garde movements, and have continued to interact with the mainland Chinese art world after moving to other countries.
After the turn of the millennium, Beijing and Shanghai became fertile ground for China’s contemporary artists, with an explosion of commercial galleries in both cities nurturing new talents and exposing them to new audiences. Before 2000, Beijing had only five galleries specialising in contemporary art; by 2008 there were more than 300. At least 100 new galleries also opened their doors in Shanghai during the same period.
The term Chinese contemporary art is used to define the latest artistic developments in China beyond the Western context, for a new insight into Chinese art contributing to the globalised art world. Over the past decade, contemporary Chinese art has experienced an exciting time of growth. China is now one of three major art hubs in the world today along with the US and the UK.
The domestic focus within the Chinese art market means Chinese art is dominant within it. Contemporary art in China represents a growing part of the art market, with modern art and other fine art sales declining in the country from 2019. There has never been a better time to learn about Chinese contemporary art than there is now.