The ‘China/Avant-Garde Exhibition’, which took place at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing in 1989, is an important milestone in the history of contemporary Chinese art. The concept of this large exhibition had developed over several years. In 1986, a number of artists attended a conference at Zhuhai (commonly referred to as the Zhuhai Conference), which included an exhibition of slides of experimental artwork from all across China. As a result of this ‘Large-Scale Slide Exhibition of New Wave Art’, the idea of a comprehensive exhibition of original works of contemporary art was hatched. Originally planned for July 1987 at the Beijing Agricultural Exhibition Centre, the exhibition was postponed due to the Anti-Bourgeois Liberalism Campaign of that year. In 1988, at the China Modern Art Conference held at Huangshan, discussions for the exhibition continued, and the landmark ‘China/Avant-Garde Exhibition’ finally opened in February 1989.

Presented here are selected historical documents relating to the Zhuhai and Huangshan Conferences, as well as the ‘China/Avant-Garde Exhibition’.