Etchings of the future

It happened alongside the rise of contemporary artists who were schooled in engraving disciplines at university, Wang adds.

In the early 20th century, engravings in China were mainly used as a medium for publicizing revolutionary events. Present-day Chinese artists, who work on plates or blocks, stress self-expression and diversity, he says.

Wang is the curator for the Philosophy of Languages section at the upcoming exhibition. It seeks to explain an artist's thinking process when he or she creates a piece.

"Xu Bing, for instance, applied a lot of carving techniques in many of his late works. But he has never restricted himself to the form of engraving. Instead, he demonstrates flexibility in incorporating multiple media that attests to the value of handicrafts and what it means to be human in his works."

The Liberated Instrument section will examine how academic training in engraving influences an artist's thoughts.

"Engraving is not used for political propaganda anymore, nor has it stayed just at the academic level. Instead it has become a liberated form that allows artists to explore all possibilities," says Kang Jianfei, secretary-general of the engraving committee under the China Artists Association. Kang is curating the section.

It will display, for example, Sun Xun's animation works.