Contemporary Chinese Art. Chinese Contemporary Art: A Crisis? - the magazine “Art. The most famous artists

It is believed that the period from the end of the 1976 Cultural Revolution to the present time represents a single stage in the development of contemporary art in China. What conclusions can one come to if one tries to understand the history of Chinese art over the past hundred years in the light of contemporary international events? This history cannot be studied by considering it in the logic of linear development, divided into the stages of modernity, postmodernism - on which the periodization of art in the West is based. How, then, can we construct a history of contemporary art and talk about it? This question has been occupying me since the 1980s, when the first book on contemporary Chinese art was written. i... In subsequent books such as Inside Out: New Chinese Art, The Wall: Changing Chinese Contemporary Art, and especially the recently published Ipailun: Synthetic Theory versus Representation, I have tried to answer this question by looking at specific phenomena in the art process.

It is often cited as a basic characteristic of contemporary Chinese art that its styles and concepts were mostly imported from the West, rather than grown on their own soil. However, the same can be said about Buddhism. It was brought to China from India about two thousand years ago, took root and turned into an integral system and eventually bore fruit in the form of Ch'an Buddhism (known in the Japanese version as Zen) - an independent national branch of Buddhism, as well as a whole corpus of canonical literature and related philosophy, culture and art. So, perhaps, contemporary art in China will take a long time before it develops into an autonomous system - and today's attempts to write its own history and often question comparisons with global counterparts are a prerequisite for its future formation. In the art of the West, since the era of modernism, the main vectors of force in the aesthetic field have been representation and anti-representation. Such a scheme, however, is unlikely to work in the Chinese scenario. It is impossible to apply such a convenient aesthetic logic based on the opposition of tradition and modernity to contemporary Chinese art. In social terms, the art of the West since the time of modernism has taken the ideological position of an enemy of capitalism and the market. There was no capitalist system in China to fight against (although ideologically charged oppositionism embraced the bulk of the artists of the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s). In the era of rapid and fundamental economic transformations in the 1990s, contemporary art in China found itself in a system much more complex than that of any other country or region.

It is impossible to apply an aesthetic logic based on the opposition of tradition and modernity to contemporary Chinese art.

Take, for example, the constantly debated revolutionary art of the 1950s and 1960s. China imported socialist realism from the Soviet Union, but the import process and purposes were never detailed. As a matter of fact, Chinese students who studied art in the Soviet Union and Chinese artists were more interested not in socialist realism itself, but in the art of the Itinerants and critical realism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This interest arose as an attempt to replace the Western classical academicism, which was inaccessible at that time, through which the development of artistic modernity in its Western version was going in China. The Parisian academicism promoted by Xu Beihong and his contemporaries, who were educated in France in the 1920s, was already too distant a reality to become a model and reference point for the younger generation. To pick up the baton of the pioneers of the modernization of art in China, it took an appeal to the classical tradition of Russian painting. It is obvious that such an evolution has its own history and logic, which are not directly determined by socialist ideology. The spatial connection between China in the 1950s, artists of the same age as Mao Zedong himself and the realistic tradition of Russia at the end of the 19th century already existed and therefore did not depend on the absence or presence of political dialogue between China and the Soviet Union in the 1950s. Moreover, since the art of the Itinerants was more academic and romantic than critical realism, Stalin designated the Itinerants as the source of socialist realism and, as a result, had no interest in the representatives of critical realism. Chinese artists and theorists did not share this "bias": in the 1950s and 1960s, a large number of studies on critical realism appeared in China, albums were published and many scientific works were translated from Russian. After the end of the Cultural Revolution, Russian pictorial realism became the only starting point in the modernization of art, unfolding in China. In such typical works of "scar painting" as, for example, in the painting by Cheng Conglin "Once in 1968. Snow ”, the influence of the itinerant Vasily Surikov and his“ Boyarynya Morozova ”and“ Morning of the Streltsy Execution ”can be traced. The rhetorical techniques are the same: the emphasis is on depicting real and dramatic relationships between individuals against the background of historical events. Of course, “scar painting” and itinerant realism arose in radically different social and historical contexts, and yet we cannot say that the similarities between them are limited to imitation of style. At the beginning of the twentieth century, having become one of the key pillars of the Chinese "revolution in art", realism significantly influenced the trajectory of the development of art in China - precisely because it was more than a style. He had an extremely close and deep connection with the progressive value of "art for life."

Quan Shanshi. Heroic and Indomitable, 1961

Canvas, oil

Cheng Conglin. Once in 1968.Snow, 1979

Canvas, oil

From the collection of the National Museum of Art of China, Beijing

Wu Guanzhong. Spring herbs, 2002

Paper, ink and paints

Wang Idong. Scenic area, 2009

Canvas, oil

Image copyright belongs to the artist

Or let's turn to the phenomenon of similarity between the art movement "red pop", which was initiated by the Red Guards at the beginning of the "cultural revolution", and Western postmodernism - I wrote about this in detail in the book "On the regime of Mao Zedong's folk art." i... Red Pop completely destroyed the autonomy of art and the aura of the work, fully utilized the social and political functions of art, destroyed the boundaries between different media and absorbed the maximum possible number of advertising forms: from radio broadcasts, films, music, dance, war reports, cartoons to commemorative medals, flags, propaganda and handwritten posters - with the sole purpose of creating an all-encompassing, revolutionary and populist visual art. In terms of promotional effectiveness, commemorative medals, badges and handwritten wall posters are as effective as advertising media for Coca-Cola. And the worship of the revolutionary press and political leaders in scope and intensity even surpassed the similar cult of the commercial press and celebrities in the West. i.

From the point of view of political history, the "red pop" appears as a reflection of the blindness and inhumanity of the Red Guards. Such a judgment does not stand up to criticism if we consider the "red pop" in the context of world culture and personal experience. This is a difficult phenomenon, and its study requires, among other things, a thorough study of the international situation of that period. The 1960s were marked by uprisings and unrest around the world: anti-war demonstrations took place everywhere, the hippie movement, the civil rights movement expanded. Then there is another circumstance: the Red Guards belonged to the sacrificed generation. At the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, they were spontaneously organized to participate in left-wing extremist activities and, in fact, were used by Mao Zedong as a lever to achieve political goals. And the result for these yesterday's pupils and students was deportation to rural and border areas for ten years of "retraining": it is in the pitiful and helpless songs and stories about the "intellectual youth" that the source of underground poetry and art movements after the "cultural revolution" lies. And the experimental art of the 1980s was also undoubtedly influenced by the "red guards". Therefore, regardless of whether we consider the end of the "Cultural Revolution" or the mid-1980s as the starting point for the history of contemporary art in China, we cannot refuse to analyze the art of the era of the Cultural Revolution. And especially - from the "red priest" of the Red Guards.

In the second half of 1987 and the first half of 1988, in Contemporary Chinese Art, 1985-1986, I attempted to substantiate the stylistic pluralism that became the defining feature of the new visuality in the post-Cultural Revolution. We are talking about the so-called new wave 85.From 1985 to 1989, as a result of an unprecedented explosion of information on the Chinese art scene (in Beijing, Shanghai and other centers), all the main artistic styles and techniques created by the West over the last century appeared simultaneously. It is as if the century-old evolution of Western art has been re-enacted - this time in China. Styles and theories, many of which already belonged to the historical archive rather than living history, were interpreted by Chinese artists as "modern" and served as an impetus for creativity. To clarify this situation, I used Benedetto Croce's ideas that "all history is modern history." True modernity is the awareness of one's own activity at the moment when it is being carried out. Even when events and phenomena refer to the past, the condition for their historical cognition is their "vibration in the consciousness of the historian." "Modernity" in the artistic practice of the "new wave" took shape, weaving into a single ball the past and the present, the life of the spirit and social reality.

1. Art is a process through which culture can comprehend itself comprehensively. Art is no longer reduced to the study of reality, driven into a dichotomous dead end, when realism and abstraction, politics and art, beauty and ugliness, social service and elitism are opposed. (How not to recall in this connection Croce's assertion that self-consciousness seeks "to distinguish, uniting; and difference here is no less real than identity, and identity is no less than difference.") Expanding the boundaries of art becomes the main priority.
2. The field of art includes both non-professional artists and a wide audience. In the 1980s, it was largely non-professional artists who carried the spirit of radical experimentation - it was easier for them to break away from the established circle of ideas and practices of the Academy. In general, the concept of non-professionalism, in fact, is one of the basic ones in the history of classical Chinese "painting of educated people". Intellectual artists ( literati) constituted an important social group of "cultural aristocrats", which, starting from the 11th century, carried out the cultural construction of the entire nation and in this respect was, rather, opposed to artists who received their craft skills in the imperial Academy and often remained at the imperial court.
3. The movement towards the art of the future is possible through bridging the gap between Western postmodernism and Eastern traditionalism, through the convergence of modern philosophy and classical Chinese philosophy (such as Chan).

Yue Minjun. Red boat, 1993

Canvas, oil

Fang Lijun. Series 2, number 11, 1998

Canvas, oil

Image courtesy of Sotheby's Hong Kong

Wang Guangyi. Materialistic art, 2006

Diptych. Canvas, oil

Private collection

Wang Guangyi. Great criticism. Omega, 2007

Canvas, oil

Cai Guoqiang. Drawing for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation: An Ode to Joy, 2002

Gunpowder on paper

Image copyright Christie's Images Limited 2008. Image courtesy of Christie's Hong Kong

However, the "contemporary art" created in China in 1985-1989 was by no means intended to be a replica of the modernist, postmodern, or current globalized art of the West. Firstly, it did not at all strive for independence and isolation, which, in a rough way, constituted the essence of the modernist art of the West. European modernism paradoxically believed that escapism and isolation could overcome the alienation of the human artist in capitalist society - hence the artist's commitment to aesthetic disinterest and originality. In China, in the 1980s, artists, different in their aspirations and artistic identity, were in a single experimental space for large-scale exhibitions and other events, the most striking of which was the Beijing exhibition "China / Avant-garde" in 1989. Such actions were, in fact, social and artistic experiments of an extraordinary scale, which went beyond a purely individual statement.

Secondly, the "new wave 85" had little to do with postmodernism, which questioned the very possibility and necessity of individual self-expression, which modernism insisted on. In contrast to the postmodernists who rejected idealism and elitism in philosophy, aesthetics, and sociology, Chinese artists in the 1980s were captured by a utopian vision of culture as an ideal and elitist sphere. The already mentioned exhibitions-actions were a paradoxical phenomenon, since the artists, while asserting their collective marginality, at the same time demanded the attention and recognition of society. It was not stylistic originality or political engagement that determined the face of Chinese art, but precisely the incessant attempts of artists to position themselves in relation to the society that was transforming before our eyes.

It was not stylistic originality or political engagement that determined the face of Chinese art, but precisely the attempts of artists to position themselves in relation to the transforming society.

To summarize, we can say that for reconstructing the history of contemporary art in China, a multidimensional spatial structure is much more effective than a meager temporal linear formula. Chinese art, unlike Western art, did not enter into any relationship with the market (due to its absence) and at the same time was not defined solely as a protest against the official ideology (which was typical of Soviet art in the 1970s and 1980s). In relation to Chinese art, an isolated and static historical narrative is unproductive, building lines of succession of schools and classifying typical phenomena within a specific period. Its history becomes clear only in the interaction of spatial structures.

At the next stage, which began in the late 1990s, Chinese art created a special delicately balanced system, when various vectors simultaneously reinforce each other and counteract. This, in our opinion, is a unique trend that is not characteristic of contemporary art in the West. Three types of art now coexist in China - academic realistic painting, classical Chinese painting ( guohua or wenren) and contemporary art (sometimes referred to as experimental). Today, the interaction between these components no longer takes the form of confrontation in the aesthetic, political or philosophical field. Their interaction occurs through competition, dialogue or cooperation between institutions, markets and events. This means that the dualistic logic of aesthetics and politics is not suitable for explaining Chinese art from the 1990s to the present. The logic "aesthetic versus political" was relevant for a short period from the late 1970s to the first half of the 1980s - for the interpretation of art after the "cultural revolution". Some artists and critics naively believe that capitalism, which did not liberate art in the West, will bring freedom to the Chinese, since it has a different ideological potential, opposition to the political system, but as a result, capital in China successfully erodes and undermines the foundations of contemporary art. Contemporary art, which has gone through a difficult process of formation over the past thirty years, is now losing its critical dimension and instead is being drawn into the pursuit of profit and fame. Contemporary art in China, first of all, should be based on self-criticism, even if individual artists are more or less influenced and subject to the temptations of capital. Self-criticism is exactly what is not now; this is the source of the crisis of contemporary art in China.

Courtesy of Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art.

Chinese to English translation by Chen Kuandi

Contemporary Chinese art has appeared on the world stage relatively recently. The so-called "Chinese boom" took place in 2005, when, for a small number of objective reasons, prices for paintings by artists of modern China increased more than tenfold. Contemporary Chinese art has appeared on the world stage relatively recently. The so-called "Chinese boom" took place in 2005, when, for a small number of objective reasons, prices for paintings by artists of modern China increased more than tenfold. There is an opinion that in fact an information war is being waged on the international art market. The multi-million dollar purchase of a Chinese piece of art is not always supported by the facts. There are often cases of delayed payment for a lot due to the appearance of doubts about the authenticity of the monument. For example, the most expensive painting sold at Christie’s auction in 2011, Qi Baishi's Long Life, Peaceful Land, was in the warehouse for two years. With the help of such authorities as the government of the People's Republic of China, the media, dealers, the cost of works of art is artificially inflated. Thus, experts say that "the Chinese government is pursuing a policy of falsifying the prosperous, stable and prosperous background of the PRC in order to attract foreign investors' money to the country." Thanks to the announcements of record sales, Chinese auction houses and world offices in the PRC have become international leaders in the art market, which has made it possible to raise prices for works from China. Also, at the moment, it is quite difficult to assess the objects of Chinese art, since there are no relevant criteria, which also contributes to a free interpretation of the value of the work. Thus, according to Abigail R. Esman, the "soap bubble" of art objects is beneficial to the PRC government. In turn, dealers of contemporary Chinese art unnaturally raise the prices of the works of the artists they support. According to Dr. Clare McAndrew, “The surge in the Chinese market has been driven by rising wealth, strong domestic supply, and buyer's investment. The fact that China has taken a leading position in the world art market does not mean that it will retain its position in the coming years. The Chinese market will face the challenge of realizing more stable and long-term growth. "

Nevertheless, at the moment, Chinese artists are famous and popular all over the world, they make up to 39% of the proceeds on the contemporary art market. There are both objective explanations for this fact, and based on the personal, subjective taste of the buyer, and so on, which should be further understood.

“Asian art is rapidly expanding internationally and there has been a significant increase in purchases from both the rest of Asia and the West,” said Kim Chuan Mok, head of the South Asian region's painting department. Currently, the most expensive artists in China are Zeng Fanzhi, Cui Ruzhou, Fan Zeng, Zhou Chunya and Zhang Xiaogang. At the same time, Zeng Fanzhi's work "The Last Supper" in 2013 was sold at Sotheby's for $ 23.3 million, which is a record amount not only for the Asian market, but also for the Western one, putting it in fourth place in the list of the most expensive works of contemporary artists ...

In three years, China has surpassed the United States and Great Britain in terms of sales in the art market, which initially occupied the leading positions in the world. Among Christie's departments, the Asian art market ranks second in importance and profitability. According to Artprice, China accounts for 33% of the contemporary art market, while America's 30%, Britain's 19%, and French - 5%.

Why is contemporary Chinese art so popular?

Today, Chinese art is extremely relevant and important, in part because China itself has become such. Art centered around an economically strong center. But there are very specific explanations for the rise in prices.

In 2001 China joined the WTO, which influenced the increase in the presence of auction houses in the region, which in turn began to adapt to the personal preferences of new buyers. So, in the first decade of the 21st century, about a hundred auction houses were opened in the PRC. Both local significance, such as Poly International, China Guardian, and international: since 2005 in Beijing Forever International Auction Company Limited has been operating under a license from Christie's, in 2013-2014 the world leaders Christie's and Sotheby's opened their direct representative offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. As a result, if in 2006 China's share of the world art market was 5%, then in 2011 it was about 40%.

In 2005, the so-called "Chinese boom" within the framework of which the prices for the works of Chinese masters rose sharply from several tens of thousands to a million dollars. So, if one of the Mask Series paintings by Zeng Fanzhi in 2004 was sold for 384,000 HKD, then already in 2006 a work from the same series was sold for 960,000 HKD. Uta Grosenik, a German painting historian, believes it has something to do with the location of the Olympic Games - with Beijing. "Attention to contemporary China has shifted to contemporary Chinese art, which has turned out to be understandable to Western audiences."

During times of economic instability, the art market grows... The years 2007-2008 are characterized by specialists as a period of a sharp increase in the volume of painting sales in general by 70%, as well as an increase in demand for contemporary Chinese art. This can be traced back to Zeng Fanzhi's sales at Sotheby's and Christies. In the 2008 crisis year, he broke a price record. Mask series # 6 sold at Christies for $ 9.66 million, nearly 9 times the most expensive sale in 2007 and 2006. During the economic crisis, art ranks second in popularity as an alternative asset after luxury goods. "The presence of the objects of protection in the company's portfolio allows not only to diversify risks, but also to provide additional profitability that outstrips some indicators of the stock market."

For Chinese entrepreneurs, who are the main buyers, investing in art seems to be the most rational and promising, since the Chinese Communist Party has limited real estate speculation, which has led to the need to find new ways to solve the problem. Art objects are ideal for maintaining investor anonymity."The most famous ways of making large investments in art for representatives of developing countries, in particular China, are meetings of hedge funds and organizations with direct investment, when in fact they buy a piece of a portfolio of several items of art, but do not buy ownership." Chinese investors have learned to bypass the ban on the export of capital exceeding $ 50,000 a year. An underestimated cost of work is declared, the difference is transferred to foreign accounts. Thus, it is almost impossible to calculate the capital outflow to another country. "Pictures for such investors are a tool of an investment mechanism, ideal in terms of the degree of secrecy." For these purposes, during the first decade of the 20th century, institutions were formed in China that made it possible to make investments in the objects of thesaurus. So, at the moment, on the territory of the PRC, there are more than 25 art treasury funds and art exchanges, special publications are issued to help make the right and profitable investments.

The popularity of investments in contemporary art began to increase with growth in the number of young entrepreneurs and an increase in the living wage for the BRIC middle class. So in China at the moment there are 15 billionaires, 300,000 millionaires, and the average salary is $ 2,000. "Contemporary art of the second half of the twentieth century is just understandable for young businessmen, who may not have time to go to museums and galleries or read books and leaf through catalogs." These people often do not have the proper level of education, but they have enough money for the right investments, which leads to a large number of Chinese investors in art and small collectors of it. But they know that the work will rise in value, and therefore later it can be resold profitably.

In Asia, Russia and the Middle East, art purchases have a large economic, cultural and "status" connotations... Thus, the object of art is also a positivist investment that determines the status of the owner and raises his prestige and position in society. "When Chinese investors want to diversify their investment portfolios, they most often turn to luxury goods, analysts at the Artprice website say, so for them buying a painting by a contemporary artist is like buying something in a Louis Vuitton boutique."

For businessmen and officials in China, the purchase of works of art, in particular local craftsmen, is of interest, since there is a layer of so-called "Cultivated functionaries" who accept bribes in this form. Before the start of the auction, the appraiser underestimates the market value of the painting so that it can no longer be a bribe. This process was named "Yahui" and as a result became "a powerful driving force of the Chinese art market."

One of the reasons for the popularity of Chinese contemporary art is itself painting style, understandable and interesting not only for the Chinese themselves, but also for Western buyers. Artists from China were able to accurately depict the "cultural and political phenomena of the modern Asian world", especially since the issues of the collision of the East and the West do not cease to be relevant today. On the territory of China, media propaganda of active participation in the development of the country's art market is carried out. Recipients are offered more than 20 television programs, 5 magazines covering topics such as "participation in art auctions", "identification of artistic relics", etc. According to the official website of the auction house Poly International: "Poly is an auction of fine art, the main goal of which is to return art to the people of China," which leads to the following reason for the increased demand for Chinese art.

"A Chinese will not buy a work of art from a non-Chinese." From an ethical point of view, national art objects are bought by investors or collectors from a given country. Thus, they raise prices for the work of their compatriots and fulfill the ideological directive - they return art to their homeland. Many collectors are residents of the regions, this rise of South Asian art correlates with the influx of those from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines "- said Kim Chuan Mok, head of the South Asian region painting department.

Art objects, including modern painting, are purchased for formation of collections of new museums in China... At the moment, there is a phenomenon of a "museum boom" in China. So in 2011, 390 museums were opened in the PRC, so there is a need for their worthy filling. In China, the easiest way is to purchase artwork from auction houses, rather than directly from an artist or through a gallery, which explains both the increased demand and supply for Chinese contemporary art.

At the moment, China is the leader in the contemporary art market. Despite the fact that the works of local artists are mainly bought directly in China, and rarely abroad by the Chinese themselves, the popularity of Chinese contemporary painting and its importance in the context of the world art market cannot be denied. The "Chinese boom" that began about ten years ago does not leave the world and its masters never cease to amaze both with their works and their prices.

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Exhibition “Alienated Paradise. Contemporary Chinese Art of the DSL Collection ”will open in Moscow at the end of October. On the eve of its opening, we are talking about Chinese contemporary art, the success of which is due not only to the talent of artists.

In 2012, the work "Eagle on a Pine" by Chinese artist Qi Baishi was sold for a record $ 57.2 million at that time. Asian art is nowhere to be found at auction: collectors are willing to shell out millions of dollars to purchase a painting by Zhang Xiaogang or Yu Mingzhua. We tried to find out why Chinese art is experiencing such a boom.

1. Auction houses

In the economy, China is rapidly catching up with the United States and has every chance of pushing them out of the first place in the near future. This was confirmed by the data of the new survey of the International Comparison Program (ICP). Chinese businessmen are actively investing in contemporary art, considering it more promising than the real estate market and stocks.

In 2012, experts from the largest analytical company Artprice calculated how China's economic growth has changed the structure of the global art market. Total art sales in China in 2011 amounted to $ 4.9 billion. China surpassed the United States ($ 2.72 billion) and the United Kingdom ($ 2.4 billion) by a wide margin.

Already five auction houses in China are in the top world leaders in the sale of contemporary art. Over the past ten years, the market share of Christie "s and Sotheby" s has significantly decreased - from 73% to 47%. The third most important auction house is China Guardian, which sold the most expensive lot of 2012, the painting "Eagle on a Pine" by Chinese artist Qi Baishi ($ 57.2 million).

Eagle on a pine tree, Qi Baishi

The artistic value of the paintings of Qi Baishi and Zhang Daqian, whose works are sold at auction for fabulous sums, is undeniable. But this is not the main reason for the prosperity of Chinese auction houses.

2. Nationality of collectors

This point is not about tolerance at all, but rather about the psychology of buyers. It is logical that Russian collectors prefer Russian artists. Likewise, Chinese businessmen invest more in the work of their compatriots than in others.

3. "Yahui" and bribes in Chinese

Among Chinese officials, there are “cultured functionaries” who accept bribes in the form of works of art. The appraiser announces the very low market value of the painting or sculpture prior to the announcement of the bid, so the artwork cannot be a cause of bribery charges. The process of this bribery is called "yahui". Ultimately, through the machinations of officials, yahui became a powerful driving force in China's art market.

4. Unique style of Chinese art - cynical realism

Chinese artists have managed to accurately reflect the cultural and political phenomena of the modern Asian world. The aesthetics of their works are of interest not only to the Chinese themselves, but also to Europeans and Americans who are sophisticated in contemporary art.

Cynical realism arose in response to socialist realism, traditional in communist China. Skillful artistic techniques turn the political system of the PRC inside out, its indifference to personality. A striking example is the work of Yu Mingzhua. All of his paintings depict heroes with unnaturally laughing faces during terrible tragedies.

The Chinese authorities continue to suppress any criticism of the political system. In 2011, it seemed that the government had made a concession to the artists: the sculpture "Officer" Zhao Zhao was exhibited in Beijing. It consisted of scattered pieces of an eight-meter statue of a Chinese soldier, on whose uniform the date of Ai Weiwei's arrest was engraved. It was soon announced that the sculpture had been confiscated at the border while the artist's work was being transported to his exhibition in New York.

Andy Warhol's work "15 Minutes of Eternity" was removed from the exhibition in Shanghai. The curators failed to convince the Chinese government that the painting was not intended to show disrespect for Mao Zedong.

With a little bit of the basic context of Chinese contemporary art, it's time to move on to the authors who are so admired in the Western world.

1. Ai Weiwei

A real hero of our time, who has taken Chinese art to a new level, and it is no coincidence that he tops our list. Previously, no one had the courage to come out so sharply and skillfully against the Chinese government.

In the famous "Fuck Off" photo series, the artist shows his middle finger to symbols of state power, including the imperial palace in Beijing. This, on the one hand, is naive and, on the other, a very strong gesture, capaciously expresses the attitude towards the hated Ai Weiweiuku Chinese authorities.

Accurate illustration of Ai Weiwei's attitude towards the Chinese government

There are also quite harmless, but no less memorable promotions. When the artist was forbidden to travel outside his yard, he began to put flowers in the bicycle basket every day and called them “Flowers of Freedom”. Weiwei intends to do this until he is released from house arrest.

There are no boundaries for this author: we are already talking about how, being under house arrest, he is actively preparing for the opening of his exhibition in the UK. Its 3D copy will welcome visitors to the exhibition and move with them through the halls.

2. Liu Wei

In 2004, critics were shocked aesthetically when Liu Wei presented his work "Upset Stomach II". It's a bunch of tar excrement and residues from Chinese petrochemicals. The artist himself describes the work as follows: “The idea of ​​the composition comes from the image of a giant who ate everything that came in his way. If you pay attention, you will see that not everything that he so eagerly swallowed has been digested. This excrement is a war scene. " On closer inspection, you can see that hundreds of toy soldiers, airplanes and weapons turned out to be "undigested".

Upset stomach II

In his works, Liu Wei urges people not to pin high hopes on the development of high technologies. Unfortunately, they only waste natural energy resources, and do not conserve them.

3. Sun Yuan and Peng Yu

This creative union is known all over the world for the use of unconventional materials in their works: human fat, live animals and corpses.

The most famous work of the duo is the installation "Nursing Home". Thirteen life-size sculptures in wheelchairs are chaotically moving around the gallery space. World politicians are guessed in the characters: Arab leaders, American presidents of the 20th century and others. Paralyzed and powerless, toothless and old, they slowly bump into each other and frighten the visitors of the exhibition with their realism.

"Nursing home"

The main idea of ​​the installation is that despite many decades, world leaders have not been able to agree with each other in the name of peace for their citizens. Artists rarely give interviews, explaining that there is no need to think out anything in their works. Before the audience, they present a real picture of the future of diplomatic negotiations, the decisions of which are not valid for both sides.

4. Zhang Xiaogang

The series "Pedigree: Big Family", begun in the early 1990s, gained the greatest popularity in his work. These paintings are a stylization of old family photographs taken during the years of the Cultural Revolution in 1960-1970. The artist has developed his own technique of "false portrait".

Pedigree: big family

In his portraits, you can see the same, like cloned faces with the same facial expressions. For the artist, this symbolizes the collective character of the Chinese people.

Zhang Xiaogang is one of the most expensive and best-selling contemporary Chinese artists and is sought after by foreign collectors. In 2007, one of his paintings was auctioned for $ 3.8 million, the highest price paid for a work by a contemporary Chinese artist. "Pedigree: Big Family # 3" was bought by a collector from Taiwan for $ 6.07 million at Sotheby's.

Pedigree: Big family # 3

5. Cao Fei

Cynical realism in Fay's works takes on new meanings associated with the process of globalization. The most striking embodiment of her ideas is the Mad Dogs video. In her works, the girl breaks the stereotype about diligent and executive Chinese. Here her compatriots appear a little crazy and deeply integrated into the system of world production and consumption. In the process of globalization, they remain “obedient dogs”, capable of assuming the roles imposed on them.

The text leading up to the Crazy Dogs says: “We are tame, patient and obedient. The owner can call or disperse us with one gesture. We are a pathetic pack of dogs and ready to be animals caught in the trap of modernization. When will we finally bite the owner and become real mad dogs? "

Cao Fei in Reservoir Dogs

The film is a noisy staged action in which corporate employees, disguised as dogs, crawl on all fours around the office, barking, throwing themselves at each other, lying on the floor and eating from a bowl. All of them are dressed in suits of the British brand Burberry. European pop hits performed in Chinese are played in the background.

Due to the above economic, political preconditions and the talent of the leaders of the Chinese art movement, collectors from all over the world dream of owning works of contemporary Chinese art. The West is still rethinking the Asian world, including culturally. And China, in turn, is rethinking the actions of its government against the backdrop of globalization.

Contemporary Chinese Art: Hao Boi, Ai Weiwei, Zhao Zhao

Creativity of the artist Hao Boi (Hao Boyi) reminded the world of what classical Chinese engraving is. He is currently the head of the China Artists' Association. Reminding the viewer that oriental art is distinguished by minimalism and elegance, Boi carefully and discreetly depicts nature. Most often, the artist prefers to work on wood, but sometimes he also uses metal. There is not even a hint of a person in his engravings. Birds, trees, shrubs, sun, swamps are depicted in their pristine beauty.

One of the most famous contemporary Chinese artists - Ai Weiwei- became famous not only thanks to creative projects. In every article about him, his oppositional mood is mentioned. Weiwei lived in the United States for some time, so the tendencies of Western art of the last century, combined with traditional oriental trends, are clearly traced in his work. In 2011, he topped the list of "100 Most Influential Persons in the Art World" according to Art Review magazine. His installations are not just art objects designed to indicate social problems, but also a huge work. So, for one of the projects, the artist collected 6,000 stools in the villages of North China. All of them are placed on the floor of the showroom, covering the entire surface. Another project, IOU, is based on a story from the artist's life. The name is an abbreviation of the phrase "I Owe You", which is translated from English as "I owe you." The fact is that the artists were charged with tax evasion. In 15 days, Weiwei had to find 1.7 million euros and pay off the state. This amount was collected thanks to those who are not indifferent to the work and life of the opposition artist. This is how the installation was born from a huge number of receipts for the transfer of funds. Weiwei has held solo exhibitions in New York, San Francisco, Paris, London, Bern, Seoul, Tokyo and other cities.

With the name of the conceptual artist Zhu Yu the concept of "cannibal" is inextricably linked. In 2000, at one of the exhibitions, he presented a provocative photo project, which was followed by scandalous articles and public investigations. The author presented to the public a series of photographs in which he is eating a human embryo. After that, information appeared in a number of media outlets about the strange food preferences of the Chinese elite - allegedly in some restaurants, embryos are served to lovers of delicacies. The provocation was definitely a success. After that, Yu's work began to enjoy popularity, and he himself was able to start making money on his strange projects. Speaking about eating embryos, he noted: “The only thing artists did was use corpses in performances, without creating anything new, blindly copying each other. This situation irritated me, I wanted to put an end to these competitions, to put an end to them. My work was not intended for the audience, it had to solve an internal technical issue. I didn't expect such a reaction. " By the way, the exhibition at which Yu showed "Eating People" was called Fuck Off and curated by the aforementioned Ai Weiwei. The artist also has more humane projects, for example, the installation "Pocket Theology". In the showroom, a hand hangs from the ceiling holding a long rope that covers the entire floor. At the moment, Yu has passed into another creative stage, devoid of past shocking. He became interested in hyperrealism.

Zeng Fanzhi is one of the most expensive Chinese artists today. In 2001 he presented his version of The Last Supper to the public. The composition is borrowed from Leonardo Da Vinci, but everything else is a figment of the imagination of our contemporary. So, at the table there were 13 people dressed as pioneers and with masks on their faces. Judas stands out against their background, on which a shirt and tie are Western cut, which hints to the viewer that even China, a traditional country, is subject to the influence of capitalism. In 2013, this work went under the hammer for $ 23 million.

Below are the works Zhao Zhao... Art critics call this artist one of the most promising contemporary Chinese authors. In addition to the fact that collectors from all over the world willingly acquire his creations, the authorities also pay attention to them - in 2012, Zhao's works "went" to an exhibition in New York, but the Chinese customs launched a batch. His works are associative, metaphorical and often associated with events in the life of the artist himself. For example, Zhao was once inspired by a car accident, during which the artist noticed how interesting cracks crept across the windshield ...

Zhang Xiaogang- the author of a well-known series of works under the general title "Bloody Footprints". It represents portraits of people of different ages, made in the style of photographs, but with artistic touches. “China is one family, one big family. Everyone must rely on each other and confront each other. This was a question that I wanted to draw attention to and which gradually, less and less associated with the Cultural Revolution, and more with the representation of the people's state in the minds ", - this is how the artist tells about the" Bloody Traces ". The series has been in the making for over 10 years, and its total cost exceeds $ 10 million.

Suppose you find yourself in a decent society, and we are talking about contemporary art. As befits a normal person, you do not understand him. We offer an express guide to the main Chinese artists from the world of contemporary art - with its help you will be able to maintain a smart look throughout the conversation, and perhaps even say something appropriate.

What is "Chinese contemporary art" and where does it come from?

Until the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, a "cultural revolution" lasted in China, during which art was equated with subversive anti-revolutionary activities and was eradicated with a hot iron. After the death of the dictator, the ban was lifted and dozens of avant-garde artists emerged from the underground. In 1989, they organized the first large exhibition at the Beijing National Gallery, won the hearts of Western curators, who immediately recognized in the paintings the tragedy of the communist dictatorship and the indifference of the system to the individual, and that was the end of the fun. Authorities dispersed the exhibition, shot students in Tiananmen Square, and shut down the liberal shop.

That would have ended, but the Western art market fell so firmly and unrestrainedly in love with the Chinese artists who managed to declare themselves that the Communist Party was seduced by the alluring international prestige and returned everything as it was.

The mainstream of the Chinese avant-garde is called "cynical realism": through the formal methods of socialist realism, the terrible realities of the psychological breakdown of Chinese society are shown.

The most famous artists

Yue Minjun

What it depicts: Characters with identical faces grunt during executions, executions, etc. All dressed as Chinese workers or Mao Zedong.

What is interesting: the faces of the workers repeat the laughter of Buddha Maitreya, who advises to smile while looking into the future. At the same time, it is a reference to the artificially happy faces of Chinese workers on propaganda posters. The grotesqueness of the smiles shows that behind the mask of laughter lies helplessness and frozen horror.

Zeng Fanzhi

Representation: Chinese men with white masks glued to their faces, scenes from hospital life, Last Supper with Chinese pioneers

What is interesting: in the early works - expressive pessimism and psychologism, in the later - witty symbolism. Tense figures hide behind masks and are forced to perform imposed roles. The Last Supper is depicted within the walls of a Chinese school, students in red ties are sitting at the table. Judas is distinguished by European business dress (shirt and yellow tie). This is an allegory for the movement of Chinese society towards capitalism and the Western world.

Zhang Xiaogang

Representation: Monochrome family portraits in the style of the decade of the Cultural Revolution

What is interesting: captures the subtle psychological state of the nation during the years of the cultural revolution. The portraits depict figures posing in artificially correct poses. The frozen facial expressions make the faces the same, but in every expression there is expectation and fear. Each family member is closed in himself, individuality is knocked out with subtle details.

Zhang Huang

What he portrays: The artist became famous for his performances. For example, he undresses, smears himself with honey, and sits outside a public restroom in Beijing until flies stick around him from head to toe.

What's interesting: conceptualist and masochist, explores the depth of physical suffering and patience.

Cai Guoqiang

Representing: Another master of performances. After the shooting of students in Tiananmen Square, the artist sent a message to aliens - he built a model of the square and blew it up. A powerful explosion was visible from space. Since then, a lot has been blowing up for aliens.

What is interesting: he went from a conceptualist to a court pyrotechnic of the Communist Party. The spectacular visual component of his later works brought him the fame of a virtuoso. In 2008, the Chinese government invited Tsai Guoqiang to direct a pyrotechnic show at the Olympics.