There is a saying that 2008 is a crucial turning point in contemporary China’s history in which China had held a remarkable event of Beijing Olympics game. It is sort of advertisement for country image, very likely to that of Tokyo Olympics game in Japan in1964, and that of Seoul Olympics games in 1988. Since the china’s country power is arriving at the unprecedentedly high peak after China’s reform, opening up and market economy for over 30years, and it was right in this year, no matter Euro-American powers or any Asian neighbors was beginning to be alert to the rise of china, and meanwhile, there is a collective containment to restrain china’s development politically, economically and culturally in the international arena.

China contemporary art has experienced the zigzag track, started from the “Xing Xing Art Show” in 1979. Since “Post 89” debut firstly in 1991 overseas till 2008 Olympic Games, it has always been a “Topic Focus” drawing a great attention from international art circle, and has become a “Concept Plate” chased by art market. As the saying goes that “There is no never-ending feast”. The china contemporary art is as if a never-ending feast before 2008. Such “China Symbol” has the same funs and pattern style which can be obviously recognized in art market. And such combinations of the traditional culture ghost, ideologically relics, post-colonial funs and carnival of market speculations as populorized Chairman Mao, Zedong, Cultural Revolution, the Red Guard and so on has become a collective strategy for most Chinese artists who ambitions to be the World-renowned. This phenomenon is very likely to that of gang fight in our childhood. While the very roots of it lies in the fact that every individual is not that strong as the collectiveness.

The seemed never-ending feast is eventually ends all of sudden following the Olympic Games and arrival of global-impacted financial crisis. As matter of fact, early in 2007 some experienced euro-American collectors have already dumped the china contemporary art works at the highest price. Tate Gallery famed as British contemporary art nuclear reaction site has already held a china’s contemporary art exhibition with unpopular stars, and clearly pointed out the “China Fatigue“. A famous British collector, Charles Saatchi caught the last bus; he dumped and cashed in all his Chinese collections for over one hundred million in 2008. It is the same as the Belgium collector, Guy Ullens did, who once ambitioned to establish the art gallery in China is now half-disguisedly selling the collections in succession. All these implied that china contemporary art, as a nearly money–chasing black horse in international art market for almost 20years has begun to lose and out of the favors.

China contemporary art eventually returns to a real “Individual Era”, during those flourishing years, some independent artist who keeps individual style was corned to the other side of market. No one really cares the inners feelings and personal experiences from the bottom of artist’s heart; and everyone was pursuing and chasing the “china contemporary art” which can be obviously recognized at sight; while finally, there is little real collection to be kept in euro-American state galleries during those 30 years. It demonstrated the fake flourishing and exaggeration. We built a lot of stars and big powers in pop rank, but still no real artist has been found who did contribute to the world contemporary culture and visual art.

To our gratification, it rarely can be found in our exhibition that the abuse of Chinese symbols and signs, and the over-expounded traditional culture; what can be discovered is the Artist’s inner world, rich and different from each other. The artist’s feelings emerged in lines and textures; and the satisfaction of the daily working life, all these can be touched in honest style of drawing. As the saying goes “Gentlemen Vary”, art should finally be individualized. Art is to prove the value of every individual living life.

Zero is a metaphor about time; it is not only an ending but also a beginning. When a carnival feast ends, the scattering and returning to the individual is undoubtedly to be regarded as a benign start. We shall pay tribute and salute to those artists who stick to and keep on the individual discovery and never ever drifting with the streams, because it is much harder to refuse the capital power under the disguise of an advanced productivity than to refuse the arrogantly ideological power. This dispels of China contemporary art plate, as a normal return, is a good thing no matter for the art or for individual artist. We are in the sincere anticipation to a real strong individual artist in the Chinese art circle who will make the far-reaching and valuable contributions to the human culture and world art at large.

Mr. Liang, Kegang
March 15th, 2010
Beijing

Artists
Dong Zhong, Gu Zhenhua, Huang Qing, Ji Wenyu & Zhu Weibing, Jiang Zhenggen, Jin Yangping, Kang Jianfei, Li Shan & Zhang Pingjie, Li Xiaojing, Luo Ji，Meng Luding, Song Guangzhi, Tong Yanrunan, Wang Jiazeng, Yu Xinzhe,Chris Gill, Christophe Demaitre