China has witnessed significant social and cultural changes over the past 70 years, which have greatly inspired artists from different parts of the country.   

Pictures, videos, photographs and installations document what have happened in China during the past 70 years, quite a number of which are about ordinary people's lives and work in various fields, with dramatic changes at different times.  

"When China's reform and opening-up policy was launched in the 1980s, artists became very conscious about social changes," said Liu Ding, one of the exhibition's curators. "They captured all manifestations of these changes in their works, like the first flyover, the first gas station and the first planetarium. Some of them experienced wars and witnessed the reconstruction of the country. Their methods of artistic creation changed in the new era, but their old skills and viewpoints could still be traced in their works." 

More than 40 artists from around the country have depicted scenes that were important to their lives or they thought were important to social development. Their diverse personal experiences have led to different perspectives in artistic creations. 

As the society went through a significant transition, artistic expression also changed. Art was not just realist any more, and art forms became more varied. 

This drawing was made by Gu Dexin in the 1980s. When he made sketches on his notebook, he was often criticized by his friends for their poor proportions. Then he started to measure body parts and scale down with a ruler to create figure portraits. "This drawing was not considered a significant artwork at the time when it was created, but years later people saw it differently, and it triggered discussion about conceptual art in China," said Liu. 

These artworks will be on display at the 798 Art Zone in Beijing, until April 30, 2020.