70

'70' is more than a number; it marks a shared point of departure for a generation. Centered on artists born in the 1970s, this exhibition brings together nearly 100 works by artists from diverse cultural backgrounds worldwide, proposing a generational dialogue that transcends geography and cultural boundaries. The formative years of these artists unfolded amid profound global transformations: the end of the Cold War, the rise of globalization, and the rapid expansion of information technologies. At the same time, local cultural traditions and evolving senses of identity were reawakened and reconfigured. These parallel yet divergent forces shape the distinct conceptual and spiritual foundations of their practices, revealing both shared experiences and singular artistic trajectories.

In China, artists born in the 1970s occupy a distinctive position, bridging past and future. Educated largely in the context of the Reform and Opening-up era, they witnessed dramatic transformations in social structures and material life, while also confronting an unprecedented openness in thought and artistic systems. As a result, their work often embodies a complex hybridity: individualized revisitations of collective memory, acute perceptions of rapid urbanization, renewed interpretations of traditional aesthetics, and a critical examination of their own cultural positioning within a globalized context. Rather than adhering to a single style or theme, their practices unfold across a broad spectrum—from social narratives to inner inquiry, from material and media experimentation to conceptual expression.

Seen from a global perspective, artists of this generation likewise came of age in a time defined by both rupture and connection. Shaped by increasingly fluid international experiences, they nevertheless remain deeply invested in excavating truths grounded in the local, the bodily, and even the unconscious. From reexamining and challenging the traditions of painting to expanding the possibilities of material and process; from sustained engagement with issues of gender, race, and ecology to reflections on the evolving relationship between technology and humanity, their artistic practices demonstrate a remarkable diversity of approaches and a keen sensitivity to the pressing questions of the contemporary world. 

This exhibition approaches '70' as both a container of time and a framework for observation. By bringing together works by artists from China, across Asia, and other parts of the world, it seeks to construct a visible site of dialogue. Through these encounters, viewers are invited to consider how this generation of artists, each following their own paths, simultaneously bears the weight of history and place while sharing a sharp, collective questioning of the contemporary world—together pushing the boundaries of artistic perception and thought.

The exhibition is curated by Wang Wei.