Victoria Lu: China's First Female Critic-Artist and the Animamix Movement

Victoria Lu, a Chinese critic and artist, is pioneering the Animamix aesthetic, which transforms reality into animation as a counter to Western conceptual art. She is considered China's first female critic-artist, recognized between Los Angeles and Taiwan, and a cultural institution figure in Shanghai. Lu founded the Animamix Biennale, held in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea for a decade, showcasing Asian artists who use comic styles and icons, influenced by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Lu argues that while these Western masters defined the 20th century, the 21st will be driven by Asian creativity under Animamix. She incorporates a Chinese dance-gymnastics tradition, performed by women in parks, into international art festivals. Her background includes growing up in pre-boom rural China, where female infanticide was practiced, highlighting ongoing gender issues. Lu's work was featured at the 2017 Venice Biennale, which closed recently. She coined the term Animamix to challenge 20th-century Western art, using animation as an antidote to conceptual art's emotional coldness.