In the 1980s, the major schools and masters of Western photography were introduced and gained popularity in China. The Western masters’ techniques, as well as their social and artistic aspirations, influenced a generation of young Chinese photographers, who began to produce photographs reflecting the reality of life in contemporary China. At the same time, the artistic exploration of video as an expressive medium began in earnest.

In the mid-1990s, Chinese photography entered a new phase, becoming closely linked to an ongoing avant-garde art movement. Since then, a brand of image-making often referred to by Chinese artists and critics as “experimental photography” (shiyan sheying) has grown into a broad trend. Its sustained development has been characterized by non-stop invention, abundant production, multifaceted experimentation and cross-fertilization with other art forms. Photography now plays a key role in contemporary Chinese art, permeating various kinds of art practice. In many ways, the medium’s versatility and instantaneous nature have become synonymous with the rapidity of change in China.

The exhibition will focus primarily on this last, and most exciting, phase of photo- and video-based art in China, spanning the years from the mid-1990s to the present.