Art history: 40X40 – China’s Contemporary Art Since 1978 Viewed from 40 Artists

Art history: 40X40 – China’s Contemporary Art Since 1978 Viewed from 40 Artists

Duration: Nov. 10 2018 – Mar. 3, 2019

Venue: Baolong Art Center, Shanghai

Ticket price: RMB120, RMB60 for students

In November, Baolong Art Center will present the “Art history: 40x40 – China’s Contemporary Art Since 1978 Viewed from 40 Artists”. It aims at rendering China’s art history in the four decades between 1978 and 2018 through 40 artists and their works. Lv Peng, curator of this exhibition, says, the exhibition turns out a selection of artistic events and activities the curator deems valuable in the art history in the past four decades based upon the curator’s views on history and values. The curator believes their works and achievements reflect the artistic issues in the past four decades and generalize what we call the art history. Nonetheless, this exhibition may not be viewed an absolute definition. Ten curators will select ten copies of “40 representative artists”, because each curator has his own understanding of artists and their works. Thus, one of the main purposes of the exhibition is to inspire more people to have a research-oriented understanding of the art history in this period of time, and to think which artists show more historic features in their works. He also points out, the Art History: 40x40 depicts the history. While an episode of history is ended and another is being written, it is the time for us to summarize the art development in the four decades since the initialization of the opening up and reform policy. As evidence of the values and history, the exhibition speaks to how China’s contemporary art history is important. Of course the exhibition proposes questions also. The comparison and display of the past and present of such artists by means of exhibition naturally arouses questions among audiences.

Together with the exhibition, the Art Center will also present exhibition catalogue Brief History of China’s Contemporary Art: 1978-2018, documentary Four Decades of China’s Art: Art History Since 1978, and other precious research materials and achievements.