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Contemporary Chinese Art

Hanging Man, 1986, by Ai Weiwei

The museum’s growing collection of contemporary Chinese art represents how artists of Chinese heritage honor their past while redefining their cultural identity. Some of the works were created as a direct response to the decade-long Cultural Revolution, a sociopolitical movement in China that took place from 1966–76. Through their art, Chinese creators simultaneously displayed their nationalism while finding their own unique voice.

While each artist engages with the contemporary global art world, many of the artists represented in the museum’s collections also draw on materials, themes, techniques, or images that relate to traditions from China’s past.