黑料不打烊

Stepping into the Taikang Art Museum (TAM) once more, curators Xu Chongbao, Ruan Jingjing, and Hui Hao led the viewer on an art historical venture through the advent of Chinese contemporary history in 1980s x 1990s Time Unfinished. With all artworks sourced from the institutional collection of the museum, Xu, Ruan, and Hui host this journey and split the exhibition up via emotions: soothing, deep, cheerful, varied, romantic, profound, warm, serene, vibrant, tense, and tragic. Starting with “Soothing”, a mini replica of Auguste Rodin’s Thinker, 1903, sits on a pedestal reminding the viewer of its large impact on the general public of the time as the piece sparked conversation and reminded Chinese citizens of the value of contemplation in the '80s.

Exhibition view of August Rodin, Small Model of The Thinker, 1903, Courtesy Taikang Art Museum

As a disclosure, much of the conversation surrounding the timeline of contemporary art and its place in China is to be contested. Within this article, I would like to take the stance that it does exist, it has been documented, and the show is supporting the timeline of that through the works on view to stay in context with the exhibition which is chronicling how this part of recent art history began in the '80s and progressed through the '90s.

Wang Keping follows in the section swiftly after with Head of the Family, 1988. Keping is a vital player of the Chinese contemporary art scene being one of the founding members of the Stars Art Group and a participant of both Stars Art Exhibitions in 1979 and 1980. The work connects to the organic nature of the human body and is a call for liberation within the context of its time.

Yuan Qingyi, Spring Has Come, 1984. Oil on Canvas, 170 × 189 cm. Courtesy of Taikang Art Museum

Moving into the “Deep” section of the exhibit, Yuan Qingyi’s Spring Has Come, 1984, expressed within the title and content of the painting, which depicts a male in casual clothing, looking back at his minimalistic apartment, housing a simple wooden chair, desk, and notebook and pen resting on top. The piece was a standout achievement which marked a transition of living, thought, and artistic practice in the '85 New Wave Movement. Along with Xu Jing’s Zero Hour, 1985, Geng Jianyi’s Hair Cut Series No. 1, 1985, and Xing Wei’s Lighthouse, 1998, the section marked a shift in the exhibition to showcase metaphorical works with conceptual underpinnings and emotional foundations as China continues to grow in industry and artistically.

Xu Jin, Zero Hour, 1985. Oil on Canvas, 200 × 180 cm. Courtesy of Taikang Art Museum

Following the trend of sections “Soothing” and “Deep”, the exhibition’s remaining emotions no doubt hosted essential works which contributed to China’s contemporary art evolution. Some curatorial choices connected to these emotions seemed a bit loose at times. I will admit this might be due to my “less than legible” allegiance to Chinese national pride. Some things even scholars cannot and do not immediately “get” or grasp when it’s clearly in front of them. Which I will admit I’m guilty of.

Exhibition view of the “Tense” section in 1980s x 1990s Time Unfinished, 2025, Courtesy of Taikang Art Museum

My focus, specifically, is Chinese contemporary performance art, and what shocked and floored me most was the “Tense” section of the show. Most of it was an homage to performance art in the ‘80s. With it being essentially banned – with some exceptions that are particularly famous – documentation of performance art at a large and prestigious contemporary art museum like TAM excited me and drew me into a fascination, a query, and an awe that these works were so well preserved and respected. I felt like an utter nerd. Based on my understanding and the books I’d read, these artists were respected in their field, but not necessarily in the eyes of the Ministry of Culture, who would have approved and screened this show.

Exhibition view, Ma Liuming, Dialogue with Gilbert & George, Performance photography, 1993, 120 x 79 cm

I wondered why these pieces specifically. Although the inner undergraduate in me was just ecstatic to see some of the work of artists I had lauded over for the majority of senior year only through screens and books. To my surprise, the ephemera was in perfect condition and celebrated.

Performance art in China changed the boundaries of how far artists were able to express themselves. From surgical rib removing actions from He Yunchang, to the tamer pieces I saw in the “Tense” section, like Zhang Huan’s – who was no tame artist by any stretch of the imagination – facial distortion documentation Skin (Set of 20), 1997, which is a nod to how people shapeshift in society, raising larger questions about who we are within it and how it molds our being.

Exhibition view, Zhang Huan, Skin (Set of 20), 1997, Digital photographs, 40.5 x 51cm x 20, Courtesy the author

I also quite enjoyed the section “Vibrant”, as the curators clearly communicated the joy and excitement of opening up times in their choices within the section, like Shu Qun’s The Complete Collection of World Art Series – U.S. Volume 1, 1991, Chen Ren’s Breakthrough and Chen Baosheng’s Horse Series (Set of 6), 1980. My impression here is that the feelings experienced by Chinese citizens during the country’s emergence onto the international stage were many and complex. Artists, in particular, had to navigate new methods of making art, cope with the pressure to perform now among hundreds of other artists on a global scale instead of a mere chosen few, and were flooded with new ideas from foreign influences. Their intellectual counterparts were in the same boat, trying to make sense of it all and share it with those willing to listen.

Exhibition view of the “Vibrant” section in 1980s x 1990s Time Unfinished, 2025, Courtesy of Taikang Art Museum

Although I admitted earlier to my ignorance in not grasping some choices in the show, at the end of the day the exhibition is not meant for me in the same way it is for the average Chinese artist, intellectual, or citizen. In that sense, I’m honored to be outside of it and happy that this collection of works and history is felt in the way it is meant to be felt by those that can really tap into the pride which accompanied the rise of contemporary Chinese art from the '80s to the '90s.

Installation view, Cai Guo-Qing, Project to Extend the Great Wall of China by 10,000 Meters: Project for Extraterrestrials No. 10 (Manuscript), 1994, Gunpowder and Ink on Paper (Framed), 46 x 4 x 23 cm, Courtesy the author

1980s x 1990s Time Unfinished was on view at the Taikang Art Museum in Beijing, China from March 30^th through June 15^th, 2025.

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