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The scene of the greatest economic and cultural metamorphosis of our
time, China is not only at the center of the world's attention but has
arguably the most vital, imaginative, and uncontainable art scene in
the world. The Rising Tide investigates China's meteoric march toward
the future through the work of some of its most talented emerging
artists, whose work reflects the country's rising influence as an
economic, political and cultural force in the global arena.
In recent years, Chinese artists, especially those working in
photography and video, have gained international recognition for their
powerful works capturing the social and aesthetic confusion created in
a rapidly changing society. To the Chinese avant-garde, materialism is
all pervasive, and the dominant consumer culture has altered people's
mentalities. Interestingly, their work, influenced by Western ideals
and art practice, remains distinctly Chinese in its content and
aesthetic.
Produced within the dual context of globalization and urbanization, the
work of artists Cao Fei, Xu Zhen, Yang Yong, Wang Qingsong, Chen
Qiulin, Birdhead, and Zhang O examines the collision between the
present and the future, and the confusion and ambiguity that
characterize the new China. Their work is often a stunned attempt to
deal with the dynamic and tectonic forces transforming China. The
Rising Tide captures this momentous time in China's history while
exploring the work of artists, who comment with intelligence, wit,
foreboding and nostalgia.
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