An extraordinary explosion of avant garde art took place in China during the 1980¹s, and a new generation of Chinese artists made waves on the international art scene in the 1990¹s. Year 2000 anticipates a growing presence for Chinese artists and entrepreneurs on the world stage. Ding Yi, Hu Jie Ming, Shi Yong and Zhou Tiehai are prominent figures in the contemporary art scene in Shanghai, a scene that has evolved in the years since 1989 on the periphery of official government sanction. Since 1988 Ding Yi has pursued a disciplined, almost obsessive exploration of repetitive, textured patterns using chalk, pastel and paint on various unconventional grounds. His refusal to engage social issues in his work is a political statement in itself. He will present acrylic paintings on tartan and drawings on paper at Residential College/East Quadrangle Art Gallery. He has exhibited throughout China as well as in Vancouver, Berlin, Melbourne, Munich, Venice and elsewhere. Shi Yong, a video and installation artist, addresses issues of identity and mediated Western perceptions of Chinese culture. He will present a large photo work in Ann Arbor and a related new web project can be found at www.shanghart.com/shiyong and is accessible from Plug In¹s web site or East Quad Art Gallery¹s page www.rc.las.umich.edu/exhibits.

Shi Yong has exhibited throughout China as well as in Vienna and Vancouver. He has participated in residencies at Access ARC in Vancouver in 1995 and at the Vermont Studio Center in 1997. Hu Jie Ming, a painter and video artist examines language and the distortions and expectations about Chinese culture pandemic in the Western media. He will present a video work titled ³New Journey to the West², which was produced during a residency at Western Front in Vancouver and edited in Shanghai. Hu Jie Ming has exhibited in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Paris, Portugal and Vancouver. Zhou Tiehai is perhaps the best known of the four in the West. His media-based works make humorous comment on the power relationships at play in international artistic, cultural and economic exchanges. He will present six of his ³Fake Covers², a new version of ³Press Conference² and the sound work ³Airport². Zhou Tiehai has exhibited in Vancouver, Hong Kong, London, Tokyo, Vienna, Bern and Sydney and he represented China at last years Venice Biennial.

Installation , " 1995-1996 "