NEW YORK, NY.- Since the early 1990s, contemporary Chinese photography has become an increasingly vital visual record of Chinese history that is now widely appreciated by museum audiences around the world, and museums are now focused on acquiring works of contemporary Chinese photography like never before.

Contemporary Chinese photography has entered into a new era of recognition as international institutions and museums have made this work a top priority for acquisition and exhibition, paving the way for its enduring place in art history. The growing list of museums that now possess rare works of contemporary Chinese photography in their permanent collections includes (date indicates year(s) the museum received works of contemporary Chinese photography):

• Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), NY (2008, 2019)
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY (2009, forthcoming acquisition 2020)
• J. Paul Getty Museum, LA (2009, 2010, 2015)
• National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Melbourne (2016)
• Hirshhorn Museum, DC (2017)
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MoMA), SF (2017)
• Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA), LA (2018)
• Hammer Museum, LA (2018)
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), LA (2018)
• Brooklyn Museum, NY (2018)
• Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), FL (2018, 2019)
• International Center of Photography (ICP), NY (2019)
• Cleveland Museum, OH (2019)
• Colby College Museum of Art, ME (2019)
• Museum of Fine Art, Boston, MA (2019)
• China Institute, NY (forthcoming acquisition 2020)

These landmark acquisition efforts and the decisive increase in the permanent holdings of contemporary Chinese photography by respected museums reflects the historical value of this work as a compelling and celebrated aspect of both contemporary Chinese art and the entire sphere of global contemporary art.

Western museums have validated the relevance of this work with their concerted focus on this particular genre. Over the last decade alone, many art institutions in the USA and abroad have focused on steadily building their permanent collections to include key works of contemporary Chinese photography by leading Chinese artists.

These institutional and museum collections have been bolstered by careful curatorial acquisition planning and by generous donations from a selection of private donors who have been generous and who understand the importance of contemporary Chinese photography as a permanent record of this significant chapter of art history.

The private organization AW Asia—founded in 2007 and based in New York—remains dedicated to the field of contemporary Chinese art and photography. AW Asia has been the primary catalyst of these acquisitions/donations. Founding director Taliesin Thomas states: “AW Asia has been a facilitator for this decade-long endeavor and we are proud to be part of this meaningful contribution.”

The growing list of major museums and institutions that have recently acquired photographs by China’s leading photographers suggests a more mainstream appreciation of this work. These museums now possess over 600 photographs by artists such as Ai Weiwei, Hai Bo, Hong Hao, Hong Lei, Huang Yan, Qiu Zhijie, Rong Rong, Song Dong, Song Yongping, Wang Jin, Wang Jinsong, Wang Qingsong, Weng Fen, Xing Danwen, Zhang Dali, Zhang Huan, Zhang Peili and Zhuang Hui. Taken together, this generation of artists and their combined contribution represents a dynamic canonical vision of contemporary Chinese photography and reflects a fundamental aspect of the unfolding narrative of contemporary Chinese art over 40 years.

Since the opening up of China in the late 1970s, Chinese artists have reclaimed photography as a powerful medium of contemporary expression. Before 1979—and especially during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976—most publications and exhibitions of photography in China served only to promote propagandist purposes and artists were forbidden to use photography as an artistic platform. The rise of the first unofficial photo club (the April Photo Society) and art exhibition in Beijing in 1979 changed this situation for artists in China, expanding the possibilities for this medium. Chinese photographers have since developed an original artistic language through diverse photographic practices and technologies and their work continues to gain acclaim with fans of art and photography worldwide.

In recent years, top-notch museums, galleries, independent curators, and artists all over the world have organized numerous exhibitions of contemporary Chinese photography. The newly installed rooms at the Museum of Modern Art, NY (MoMA) includes an entire gallery space devoted to artworks that represent Before and After Tiananmen, which features photos by Song Dong and Cang Xin (among others). The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia recently presented the exhibition Turning Points: Contemporary Photography from China (June 22, 2019 to January 27, 2020), featuring works by Hong Lei, Wang Jinsong, Huang Yan and Cang Xin (among others).

Older exhibitions of contemporary Chinese photography are remembered for stablishing a precedent for the presentation of Chinese photography on a monumental scale. The groundbreaking show Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video From China—held at the International Center of Photography in New York and the Smart Museum of Art in Chicago (among other worldwide venues) between 2004 and 2006—is another stunning example of the development of this genre.

These days, museum audiences around the globe are more sophisticated in their pursuit of cultural stimulation and enriching artistic experiences, and contemporary Chinese photography has risen in tandem with an evolving appreciation for China’s rich artistic legacy. Contemporary Chinese photography is now one of the most provocative and engaging areas of the international art world and its presence in many eminent museum collections is testimony to its unwavering relevancy and brilliance.