Chinese Art

January 6, 2009 5:59 PM

The Great Chinese Art Revolution is a documentary exploring how Chinese art has become a sought-after commodity on the international market. Suppressed and co-opted by Mao, art in China was, for a long time, a subversive expression of discontent, starting with the Star(s) Group in 1979 and continuing with the "cynical realism" of the exiled artists of the 90s.

Once considered off-track and exotic, contemporary Chinese art has arguably achieved a peak, selling for millions at auctions across the world. In a time of great change, as China struggles to balance capitalism with communism, a new wave of modern art has found its voice.

The film features leading artists discussing their work, including Ai Weiwei: widely regarded as China's father of conceptual art and one of the designers behind Beijing's Olympic stadium, The Bird's Nest; and Zhang Xiaogang - possibly the best known and most collected of his generation.

The film's selling point is simply the art itself: a cavalcade of vivid, otherworldly images that will be new to many viewers.

posted by chuckdarwin (5 comments total)

When Mao heard the word "culture", he reached for his revolver.
posted by orthogonality at 6:26 PM on January 6

Speaking of Mao and Chinese art, there's an exhibition at Asia Society in New York City called Art and China's Revolution that focuses on communist art and propaganda. If you're interested, it's on until Jan 11th. My favorite pieces were the Rent Collection Courtyard sculptures. (Also check out the excellent Islamic calligraphy exhibit while you're there)
posted by exhilaration at 7:57 PM on January 6

seconding the exhibition at the asia society.
posted by sgt.serenity at 1:15 AM on January 7

Pop Goes the Bubble in Chinese & Indian Art

Fallout from the global economic crisis hits the opening sale of modern and contemporary Asian art at Sotheby's in Hong Kong...
posted by R. Mutt at 9:05 AM on January 7

Very interesting post, thank you!
posted by flippant at 4:12 PM on January 7