Karen Smith Discusses Chinese Contemporary Art Evolution and Her New Publication As Seen 2011

In a 2013 conversation with David Carrier for artcritical, curator Karen Smith explored her book As Seen 2011: Notable Artworks by Chinese Artists, which features 40 emerging, lesser-known artists. This publication follows her 2009 work, Nine Lives: The Birth of Avant-Garde Art in New China, which examined the rise of Chinese art in the mid-1980s. Smith temporarily halted her second book, Bang to Boom, to capture current trends amid the loss of significant works. As Seen 2011 stands out by including numerous female artists, reflecting changes in society. She remarked that the Chinese art market is still in its 'early developmental stage,' lacking adequate information for collectors, and mentioned artists like Yang Jiechang and Zhang Jianjun, likening her work to Phaidon's Vitamin P.