Review Analyzes Two Books on Chinese Contemporary Art's Global-Local Tensions

A March 15, 2023 article in ARTMargins reviews two academic books analyzing Chinese contemporary art within its sociopolitical contexts. Sasha Welland's 2018 publication 'Experimental Beijing' and Jenny Lin's 2019 work 'Above Sea' are examined for their distinct methodological approaches. Welland employs ethnographic field research to study Beijing's art scene during the 1990s and 2000s, while Lin utilizes urban cultural research to analyze Shanghai in the same period. The article argues that these non-art historical methodologies are necessary for understanding the intangible tensions within global-local intersections of Chinese contemporary art. Published in ARTMargins Volume 12, Issue 1, the piece interprets how both books illuminate the role of conflict in these artistic spaces. The content is available through MIT Press with subscription access.