FOREWORD

FOREWORD

ZhuZhunowprovidesuswithGreyCarneval:ArtinChinasince2000,averysubstantialbookresultingfromtheoutlineproposedtoaninternationaljuryforthe2011CCAAArtCriticAwardwhichmadehimaclearwinnerofthataward.HecertainlyhasmademorethangoodonhispromisetoofferanewandindepthanalysisofthisdecadewhichcarriessomuchweightinshapingnewperceptionsaboutChinesecontemporaryartathomeandabroad.Thisbookcomesverytimely,atamomentwhentheheatismountinginthedebateaboutthecanonofChinesecontemporaryart—aboutwhoisinandwhoisout,aboutwhoshapedthisartandwhenandhow…

ThisbookillustratesparticularlywellwhytheCCAAArtCriticAwardhasbeencreated:thevibrantChineseartscenestilllackssufficientindependentartcriticismofthiskind.Intheearlydays,thislackwasduetoanartoperatingsystemthatwasnotyetdifferentiatedenough—therewasnoindependentmediawithintheculturaldomain,andnoindependencewithinthesemedia.Thissituationcouldnotprovidesufficientmaterialgaintosustainacareerasatrulyindependentwriter.Yetintoday'sboomingartmarket,artmediapublications,artistbooksandexhibitioncatalogsabound.Materialconditionshaveimprovedgreatly.Butmostofthiswritingnowhastocatertotheneedsofthemarket:sincethemarket,almostexclusively,validateswhatisconsideredgoodorbadart.Thisstemsfromalackofresourcesthatprovetobestrongenoughtobalancemarketpowers:resourcessuchasstrongmuseuminstitutionscapableandwillingtoparticipateinthediscoursewiththeircuratorialpractice,andinparticularindependentanalysisandcritique,allaimedateducatingarapidlygrowingaudiencethatcastsaneyeonoriswillingtoinvestinvisualarts.Inaddition,theacademicsysteminsideChinahasbeenveryslowinprovidingaspecificcurriculumforthosewishingtopursueacareerinartcriticism.

TheArtCriticAwardwantstoaddresstheseissuestwofold:byraisingthediscussiononindependentartcriticismwhichissoessentialtoadvanceartcreationinChina,andinseekingtoencourageindependentwriting—byenablinganindepthresearchprojectinChinesecontemporaryartthatmightnototherwisehavefoundfinancialsupport.

FinallymyvividthanksgototheCCAAjurymemberswhohavewithaveryrichdebateandastutejudgmenthelpedtoproducethismostinterestingoutcome.Thejurywascomposedoffivemembers:GongYan（Editor-in-ChiefofArtWorldMagazine,DirectorofOArtCenter,ShanghaiInstituteofVisualArts,FuDanUniversity）,LarsNittve（ExecutiveDirectorofM+Museum,HongKong）PhilipTinari（Formereditor-in-ChiefofLEAPMagazine,DirectorofUCCA）,WangHuangsheng（DirectorofCAFAArtMuseum）andUliSigg（FounderofCCAA）.IamalsoverygratefulforthemostimportantfinancialsupportprovidedbyM+MuseumofVisualArts,HongkongtoCCAAforouractivities.AndIamparticularlyindebtedtoAnnaLiuLi,DirectorofCCAA,whopreparedwithherteamsoefficientlythejurymeeting,managedwithgreatcharmthejuryprocess,allmediacommunicationandthemanystepsthatnowledtothissuccessfulpublication.

UliSigg