Journal

Qi Zhilong in his studio, 2024. Photo by Kye Fisher

Li Xianting remarked of his role as an editor and a critic as follows:

I just wanted to draw people’s attention towards a certain issue. I wanted to stir debate and stoke discourse

Guan Kan 观看 attempts to stand in this tradition, and uphold Mr Li’s dedication to critical investigation on Contemporary Chinese Art. Below you will find a series of essays, criticism, interviews with artists, art theory and art writing, aimed at analyzing the history and future of art.

Scholarly debate and analysis is welcomed by the journal as well as negotiating intercultural differences which may arise.

To join this discussion, please get in contact with Guan Kan 观看

Mist, The Wall, and Empire: at the Threshold of Zhang Xiaotao’s Art
Painting/ Calligraphy, Video Jemma Yovacic Painting/ Calligraphy, Video Jemma Yovacic

Mist, The Wall, and Empire: at the Threshold of Zhang Xiaotao’s Art

In Beijing’s 798 Art Zone, there is a tunnel flaunting a burgeoning stratum of graffiti art and hinting at a passageway to an enigmatic, inner domain. We came to a halt before this aperture in the bowels of China’s ‘World Class Art Destination.’ Every turn had been uncharted territory, and a moment’s deliberation coursed through our group, a current of hesitation, as we pondered whether to take up the gaping lure and witness what lay in the chamber of these foreign shadows. Air seeping from the tunnel was thick with the acrid bite of fresh spray paint, and beneath the cloak of night we boldly ventured across the threshold.

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