Towards a spatial history of contemporary art in China

The development of contemporary art in China over the last four decades is a story that can be narrated along multiple trajectories. Equally, the term ‘contemporary’ can be used to refer to the adoption of particular art forms and styles, or to experimental strategies surrounding the making of art. In both cases, it is art’s intersection with space – spaces for making, for thinking, for sharing and for exhibiting – that has most deeply impacted our understanding of certain art in China as ‘contemporary’. This paper looks at recent developments in Chinese art through the lens of space, taking into account the importance of spatial positioning of art and the exhibitionary form as a key influencer upon artistic practices. It intends not to articulate an exhibition history so much as a spatial history, and seeks to establish new narratives for art history that are culturally and context specific.