798 and Contemporary Art

In China, if you have exhibited at 798, you have'made it' as an artist. Relatively little-known outsideChina until very recently, every travel guide on Chinanow mentions 798. It has captured the attention of theinternational art world and is developing into a majorcultural phenomenon.As this book shows, 798 is the result of a uniquecultural paradox: as China embraces more and moreindividual artistic freedom, this is combined withChina's long, collectivist history of 'doing worktogether.' For the artists who have exhibited at 798,their association has become a badge of legitimacywithin the art world and often a passport to worldwideacclaim. This book offers a revealing first-look behindthe artistic and cultural phenomenon that is at thevanguard of contemporary Chinese art.