Wang Chunchen

The Head of the Department of Curatorial Research of China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Art Museum

 

I returned from Europe yesterday. During my stay there, I saw the works of a few young European artists, who reminded me greatly of their Chinese counterparts. In my eyes, the young artists of China are equally talented and have a solid formal foundation. Living in today's China, which is socially, historically, culturally and politically different from any other country, the young artists, while receiving increasing information from abroad, have conveyed their own idiosyncratic feelings through work of unique means. Nevertheless, the ever - changing society of China has also disturbed the understanding and perception of ideas, and many sources of inspiration will have disappeared due to the rapid pace of social change before they can be chewed and digested by artists. Our perspective on art is still not broad enough in a sense, as it is confined to knowledge already received, although there are many exhibitions being held these days. There are more and more art majors, among whom we can surely find some prominent young artists with a pioneering spirit. But whether or not these talented youth will be able to continue their artistic practice and achieve self - improvement is, ultimately, contingent on the acceptance and support of society.

 

Many organizations are now engaged in exhibitions featuring young artists, aiming at helping these youth figure out their relationship with art, which goes beyond the level of material benefits to the level of self - identity, exploring the link between the individual artist and their times. There are also many Chinese artists who have been working on experimental, long - form work, similar to what Xie Deqing did in New York, where a whole year was expended on a single piece. Artists usually care less about social acceptance in their process of artistic creation, and they should be encouraged to maintain this attitude and carry out unique ideas once they appear, without filters. However, outside the studio, social acceptance, tolerance, and support do indeed mean a lot to the development of young artists.