Abstract art remains one of the most radical art movements of the 20th century. To trace its development, an exhibition is being held in Beijing with a selection of works by 13 artists from different generations. 

Each artist in the exhibition represents a decade based on their date of birth. The works on display span from Vivian Springford, who was born in 1913, when abstract art was making its first appearance, to Alex Israel who was born in the early 80s, when the "neo-expressionist" movement was challenging abstract art.

Seldom has an art movement lasted so long: more than a century after its genesis, many contemporary artists continue to claim notions defined by abstraction as their own. Some of the artists claim a hybrid heritage, mixing conceptual art, pop art and even Chinese calligraphy, while others hold more radical, lyrical or even Zen positions or use light. 

Links between the different artists are often found in the exhibition. John Armleder is recognized for randomly pouring paint on a vertical canvas or a canvas placed on the floor and gesturally mixing in a diverse range of experimental materials. The artist also used Chinese textiles to separate his paintings. 

In the same room, his student, Chinese artist Xu Qu, uses different watermarks of banknotes from across the world to create colorful abstract compositions in the "Currency Wars“ series. 

Some female artists strike for unique perspectives. One of them is Sylvie Fleury. With her monumental makeup palettes, Fleury questions the desire and power attached to cosmetic objects. The magnified makeup palettes could almost be perceived as compositions of geometric shapes, so much so that her practice oscillates between the abstract and the figurative.

From Asia to the United States and Europe, the artists in this exhibition embrace and renew the heritage of abstraction. They evidence the art form’s vivaciousness, diversity and relevance. Their works are on display at Beijing‘s Song Art Museum until November 17.