Time Unfinished: Chinese Contemporary Art 1980s × 1990s

“Unfinished Time”: The Diverse Explorations of Chinese Contemporary Art in the 1980s and 1990s

This exhibition, themed “Unfinished Time”, seeks to break free from the constraints of a traditional linear view of history. By using the emotions and sentiments embedded in the artworks as an entry point, it invites viewers to revisit the 1980s and 1990s and witness artists’ explorations and practices of “modernity” amid the development of China’s market economy.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the rapid development of the market economy profoundly reshaped people’s lifestyles and values. Art, in turn, began to exhibit a plurality of forms, no longer following a singular logic of “progress”, but instead evolving amidst the tensions between tradition and the avant-garde, idealism and reality. Whether in social life or artistic practice, the exploration of “modernity” remained ongoing, and the process of transformation had yet to reach its conclusion. Thus, Chinese contemporary art of the 1980s and 1990s belongs to what can be described as an “unfinished time”.

A Tribute to the Artistic Innovators Since the 1980s

This exhibition brings together a distinguished group of artists who hold significant positions in the history of Chinese contemporary art: An Ge, Cai Guoqiang, Chen Baosheng, Chen Ren, Chen Shaoxiong, Ding Fang, Duan Jianwei, Geng Jianyi, Haibo, Han Lei, He Duoling, Jiang Zhi, Li Tianyuan, Liu Xiaodong, Liu Ye, Ma Liuming, Shu Qun, Sui Jianguo, Wang Guangyi, Wang Keping, Wang Xingwei, Wei Qimei, Xie Deqing, Xin Dongwang, Xu Jin, Yang Feiyun, Yang Jiecang, Yao Jingcai, You Jindong, Yuan Qingyi, Yuan Yunsheng, Zeng Fanzhi, Zhang Haier, Zhang Huan, Zhang Peili, Zhang Xiaogang, Zheng Guogu, and Zhou Chunya. Their works span a wide range of media, including oil painting, comic strips, photography, video, sculpture, installation, performance, and rare historical books, fully reflecting the diversity of artistic expression in Chinese contemporary art during the 1980s and 1990s.

The exhibition also features two highly symbolic special exhibits: the first edition of The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith and “The Thinker” Miniature by Auguste Rodin. These two works serve as time capsules, marking the hidden dialogue between the intellectual awakening of the 1980s and the surge of market forces in the 1990s. The former embodies the contemplative stance of humanistic passion, while the latter imprints the myth of the market shaped by knowledge and thought. These pieces engage viewers across generations, offering a deeper understanding of these two decades through the intertwined lenses of “humanism” and “the market”.

An Emotional Resonance Experiment Across Time and Space

This exhibition breaks away from the conventional linear timeline format and instead takes emotional resonance as its curatorial entry point, aiming to create a shared emotional connection for audiences across generations. The exhibition space is divided into 13 sections, guiding visitors through a journey of visual symphony. Each section centers around a distinct emotional tone—such as lyrical, passionate, solemn, tense, warm, energetic, profound, serene, romantic, joyful, fluid, deep, and soothing—capturing not only the rhythms of music but also the pulse of the times. Here, art is no longer a venerated specimen on display; it becomes the still-beating nerve ending embedded in the fabric of society.

All exhibited works are carefully selected from the Taikang Collection, representing a time slice drawn from its historical framework of “1905–1942–Since 1977”. These pieces serve as sensors of their time, capturing the social emotions and cultural atmosphere of the 1980s and 1990s. The warmth in brushstrokes, the vitality in colour, and the power sealed within installations act as mediums that awaken viewers’ emotional memories—helping them resist forgetting and relive the art and life of that era. This exhibition not only pays tribute to the artistic innovators since the 1980s but also lays down emotional and temporal circuits that enable deep emotional engagement between the audience and the works on view.

Join the interactive experience—take your exhibition memories home

Beyond the artworks themselves, the exhibition features several interactive checkpoints—don’t miss the retro-inspired “Newsstand”, “Vintage Photo Studio”, and “Emotion Corner”, each offering a unique participatory experience. At the “Newsstand”, you’ll find copies of the curatorial team’s original publication, The Mood Daily, which not only enhances visitors’ understanding of the exhibition’s historical context but also serves as a time-stamped keepsake. In the “Vintage Photo Studio”, you can capture the moment when past and present collide—the instant the shutter clicks, your visit becomes a timeless memory. At the “Emotion Corner”, visitors are invited to write personalized reflections on emotion cards. Once completed, the cards can either be placed into the wall display to become part of a growing “Emotional Museum” or taken home as a tangible memento of the exhibition experience.