The peripheral shows have stolen some of the thunder from the main event, with more participating artists, high-profile promotions and minor spats between participants creating controversy.
In addition to the large-scale exhibition Voice of the Unseen, the exhibition Mind Beating has Chinese art lovers excited. Mind Beating will exhibit the work of 16 artists, who have created pieces outside their regular mediums, defying aesthetic stereotypes.
Zhong Biao, a teacher from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, will present a solo show, a multimedia work called The Universe of Unreality, which blends painting, installation, video, music and interaction design, at the independent Venice Projects during the biennale.
"The art itself isn't categorized into national and peripheral sub-groups," curator Wang says. "Together, we show Chinese art as a whole, in a free and vigorous manner."
Long before China's official debut in 2005, a dozen mainland artists including Wang Guangyi, Geng Jianyi and Fang Lijun participated at the 45th biennale's themed exhibition in 1993. For many, the appearance paved the way for international recognition.
"Back then, we had no curator or sponsor. We didn't create or present works according to the exhibition space. We had no idea about insurance, and lost our works after the show," says Yu Hong, who also attended the 45th biennale. She and her husband Liu Xiaodong will exhibit works at Mind Beating.
The situation has greatly improved with more Chinese artists able to present their works at the biennale. China's exhibiting plans, both official and unofficial, always create a lot of buzz around the selection of curators and participating artists.
"The biennale has established a mythical status in China since the 1990s, mainly because several Chinese artists rose to stardom after debuting at the fair. Their market potential was explored and their works fetched remarkable prices at auction," Wang Chunchen says.
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