The Guardian Art Center in Beijing is holding an exhibition to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Art Nova 100, which nominates about 100 artists from across China each year. A total of 500 works from those young artists are on display, covering a wide range of art forms, including oil painting, traditional Chinese painting, sculpture, installation, video and multimedia.
With the theme "IN/OUT," the exhibition is divided into three sections: "fluid society," "natural simulation," and "the deduction of civilization." Through their artworks, young artists express their understanding of nature and their reflection on technology and society.
Artworks exhibited at Art Nova 100 in Beijing. /CGTN
In a multimedia work named "Gaze into Haze," people are able to see multi-layered information like the silhouette of visitors, English words, LEGO and fish in the background, yet none of them can be seen clearly. The artist wants to mirror the information explosion that we are currently experiencing.
Another work shows a phone number and there is actually a cell phone hidden inside the installation. When people call the number, it makes disturbing noises.
"It's difficult for us to stay quiet nowadays. Even if you want peace and quiet, you are easily affected by others. So this work reflects our situation in a plain way," says the creator AIWU.
Artworks exhibited at Art Nova 100 in Beijing. /CGTN
Launched in 2011, Art Nova 100 is an art platform that discovers and promotes young artists. Each year, thousands of young artists in China apply for the program, and around 100 are selected after evaluation from experts.
Those artists on the final shortlist are invited to participate in Art Nova 100, which includes exhibitions and forums both in China and abroad, as well as a multi-channel artist promotion program.
"Over 100 young artists started their career from this platform. Before we started, many art students would either give up on becoming artists after graduation or stay unknown to the public in small studios," Peng Wei, director of Art Nova 100, said.
"But I feel proud that in the past nine years since the platform was launched, it has helped many young artists follow their dreams," she added.