State of the Art

2022 ISSUE 2

State of The Art

In this issue, we take a deep dive into China’s contemporary art scenes, from “trend art” and NFTs, to middle class collectors and art’s role in rural revitalization. Elsewhere, we unpack China’s overpackaging problem; talk to social workers struggling to make an impact; investigate the woes of Chinese horror films; and more

The Dark Room, a new short story from our newest magazine.

Our newest Social Chinese story looks at how to deal with phone scams

From this issue

FICTION

The Dark Room Problem | Short Story

Award-winning sci-fi author Chen Qiufan investigates how technology manipulates our consciousness in this short story

SOCIAL CHINESE

End of the Line: How to Beat China’s Scam Callers

Our guide to identifying and dealing with common phone scams

ARTS

Collecting Trends: How Middle Class Buyers Influence China’s Art Market

Young, middle class collectors are bending China’s art market to their own tastes

ARTS

Art in the Field: Can Art Help China’s Villages Prosper?

Art festivals try to bring visual culture to China’s villages, but are they being put to good use?

ARTS

Photo Shop: Art in the Age of the Influencer

Museums in China increasingly rely on social media to bring in visitors, but there is a cost to going viral

TRAVEL

Where Empires Meet: Lüshun’s Complex Colonial Legacies

Lüshun’s history of colonial entanglement attracts visitors looking for stunning photo backdrops, but its story is difficult to tell

ARTS

A Token Project: Can NFT Art Flourish in China?

NFTs are increasingly popular in China’s art world, but their dubious legal status may stop them from taking off

SOCIETY

Walking on Fire to Celebrate Harvest Season

One Fujian village preserves the tradition of celebrating the harvest with painful acrobatics

FOOD

How to Make Southern China’s Famous Oyster Omelet

The street stalls of China’s southeastern coastal areas sizzle with this quintessential comfort food

SOCIETY

Why China’s Social Workers Struggle to Make a Difference

China aims to make social work a major part of old age care and public health programs, but the field struggles to gain autonomy from the government and attract new talent