No, to the Chinese "Z" is not the French pronunciation of “the” in English. And it is not the name of the dead person whose motorbike Bruce Willis took in Pulp Fiction.

The letter “Z” is meaningless in Chinese. Yet it is becoming more and more important in China today. Chinese now use Latin letters to type Chinese characters on computer keyboards. Chinese people use “pin yin” input to write text messages to their friends. The influence of the Latin alphabet is growing in China, as practical issues and foreign influences creep into the Middle Kingdom.

The letter “Z” is the first letter of some of the most popular Chinese surnames. Even on Art Scene Warehouse’s website, artists’ names are alphabetized. All of the letters are grouped together, but the letter “Z” has its own category.

“Z Artists” is the first exhibition to group Chinese artists by the previously irrelevant (in China) letter “Z”.  These are some of the most talented Chinese contemporary artists alive today, some of whom were discovered at the Chinese Art Prize.