For her latest book As Seen, an attempt to record some of the notable artworks by mainland artists from 2011, British critic and curator Karen Smith walked through hundreds of exhibitions and saw thousands of pieces - that was her idea of taking a breather.
Deep into writing Bang to Boom, which details the rise of Chinese contemporary art from 1989 to 2002 and follows her 2005 historical compendium Nine Lives: The Birth of Avant-Garde in New China, writing As Seen, she says, was a chance for her to take a break 'from the heavy weight of history'.
Released early this month, As Seen is the first of a series that promises to 'provide the public with an annual retrospective of the notable artworks worth remembering'. The 2011 edition focuses on 40 artworks.
Through her selection, a picture begins to emerge of Chinese art right now - and it's doesn't include a lot of painting. Two thirds of the book consists of installation, sculpture and video. 'I think it's partly because nobody is really sure where to go with painting,' Smith says.
'They're also at this point where they're all trying to rebut the commercial tide that is washing over them. But at the same time you can feel that nobody wants to say no to the possibility of commercial, financial success. And if you're a good painter, you usually get the good gallery that goes with that ... It's one of those weird moments where no one wants to step away, but no one really knows how to manage it.'
One result of this has been a rise in the collective. Groups were a huge factor in the mainland's avant-garde scene, and they are reappearing with vigour at the moment. Smith highlights the Shanghai-based MadeIn Company, one of the most influential and trailblazing entities on the mainland right now led by Shanghai's Xu Zhen. There is also the Museum of Unknown whose members include animator and installation artist Qiu Anxiong.
'That's part of the way artists have found it more comfortable - to bury their identity within a group in order to break away from what's happening now with painting,' says Smith, who lived in Beijing for 20 years. 'Whereas they might be a little bit uncomfortable doing it on their own, if they're in a group they can keep their own career going, then they can also do something different and experiment but with other people so they don't feel as vulnerable.'