My Generation

'My Generation: Young Chinese Artist's' looks at a whole new generation of artists that has emerged in China since 2000. All of these artists were born after 1976 and the end of the Cultural Revolution era; and all of them have been exposed to international art movements and increasingly liberalized education in a society undergoing rapid industrialization and globalization. Their artworks can be characterized as "post-Chinese", free of stereotypes and icons, and liberated from an East-West dichotomy. This striking and appealing new volume presents 50 artworks by 27 of these young Chinese artists, covering all media and types of production - there are painters, video artists, installation artists, photographers, and artist collectives. Together they address issues of alienation, self-definition, cynicism, and rebellion as they examine their lives and their homeland from a global perspective. Featured artists and collectives include Birdhead . Chen Wei . Chi Peng . Cui Jie Double Fly Art Center . Fang Lu . Guo Hongwei Hu Xiangqian . Hu Xiaoyun . Huang Ran . Irrelevant Commission . Jin Shan . Liang Yuanwei . Liu Di Lu Yang . Ma Qiusha . Qiu Xiaofei . Song Kun . Sun Xun Wang Yuyang . Xu Zhen/MadeIn . Yan Xing . Zhang Ding Zhao Zhao . Zhou Yilun The principle essay by Barbara Pollack places these artists within the context of modern Chinese art, and the major social and economic developments in China since the late 1980s. A second essay incorporating an interview by Barbara Pollack with Li Zenhua speaks specifically for this generation of young artists, the cultural context from which they herald, and how and where they work and exhibit. AUTHOR: Barbara Pollack is a New York-based independent curator, writer, and journalist, and a leading expert on contemporary Chinese art. She is the author of the critically acclaimed survey The Wild, Wild East: An American Art Critics Adventure in China (2010). Li Zhenhua is a multimedia artist, curator, and founder and director of the Beijing Art Lab. 135 colour