April 15 What's Up in Chinese Art

The New Museum of Contemporary Art is not stuffy. Operating since the 1970's, it has maintained it's freshness by a strategy of capture and release, selling collected works after a few years. This is good for the artists too, it keeps their art moving in the world. The Museum also operates Rhizome, a smart digital art program. (Hey Rhizome is putting on a benefit show Monday with YACHT and Cory Arcangel!).

So It makes sense that the Museum would turn its gaze Westward to China. The liberalizations begun under Deng have proceeded in fits and starts. But coupled with social and economic changes, China's dynamics are breeding some amazing contemporary art, including performance. It doesn't hurt that art has generally been permitted sly criticism of Chinese government policy. The fact that performance leaves little evidence helps too. Inside Out: New Chinese Art, curated by Gao Minglu, and shown in 1999 in SF and NY, was an early attempt to survey the landscape. Now even Saatchi is stalking Chinese art.

This afternoon, Dan Cameron, senior curator at the New Museum of Contemporary Art will compare his perceptions of new Asian art in a talk "Gone Global". Cameron will attempt to place contemporary Asian art in the context of the currents and rivulets of contemporary art theory and criticism in the West. It sounds boring, but I don't think it will be. Tickets recommended in advance. Portland Art Museum Whitsell Auditorium 2PM $10/5 members