Over the past five years, Chinese media artists from Beijing and Shanghai to Hangzhou have gained access to the latest cameras and computer technology, and are producing vivid, original work. Their startling actions performed on crowded Chinese city streets, diaristic works with the flavor of “reality TV,” and narratives caught between tradition and utopian dreams portray China now. Although media art has received official acceptance in China, with prominent exposure in the Shanghai Biennial and the Guangzhou Triennial, work continues to flourish in an extensive alternative network that does not receive government endorsement. The tapes selected for this exhibition include works from what has traditionally been China’s underground art network, as well as from biennials in Venice, Istanbul, Havana, and Cairo.
Organized by Barbara London, Associate Curator, Department of Film and Media.