An exhibition in Paris challenges the perception of modern Chinese art

A new exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris is challenging notions of Chinese contemporary art. Without a Mao-inspired or Cultural Revolution stylistic cliché in sight, the eclectic collection of works by five young "emerging" Chinese artists, presented alongside works by three French counterparts, in "Inside China" explores life in modern China through individual points of view.

Works ranging from Beijing artist Zhao Yao's futuristic sculptural installations to Hong Kong-based Edwin Lo's auditory score of sounds recorded on an oil tanker are a far cry from the art created by the previous generation of mainland artists whose distinctive political commentary has been so enthusiastically received by the global market.

Hong Kong-born Palais de Tokyo co-curator Jo-ey Tang, says that one of his key objectives is to challenge stereotypes by exploring the different realities of emerging art in China. According to Tang, who lives in Paris and New York, the show's eclectic mix of media is a deliberate effort to move away from the old ways of doing things.

"It is not a statement about all that is going on in China. I think the kind of Chinese art that has been shown, and the way it has been discussed in the past, has reached certain saturation. The five artists are Chinese, but they are not thinking about that every single moment, and that affects how they make art."

Tang co-curated the show with Wang Chunchen of Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum, spending a year travelling to 10 mainland cities, Hong Kong and Taiwan visiting studios, galleries and schools to develop his understanding of the art scene.

"I did not set out with any preconceived ideas of who I might meet," he says. "The show is a distillation of what is going on in the minds of these artists, taking away the usual parameters."