Art Nova 100 offers young artists showcase for their talents

The other section shows up-and-coming artists who, Zhao says, are in the middle of a "transition".

Some artists give tours of their works on show during the exhibition, which enables them to benefit from viewer feedback.

In addition to mounting the exhibitions, Art Nova 100 also organizes a residency project.

Its first attempt was a 40-day residency in Lijiang, Yunnan province, earlier this year where many artists participated in and learned the Dongba text, an ancient pictorial language of the Naxi ethnic group.

Zhao says the next residency will be in Ordos, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, where hand-weaving and dying techniques could inspire young artists.

He says Art Nova 100 also plans a residency in Lishui, Zhejiang province, where artists can draw inspiration from the rural landscape.

Speaking about the artists, he says: "Unlike their predecessors, the new generations boast a broader vision－many study and live abroad for years－and they are more expressive and confident. Still, they need to turn to their cultural roots, where they will find something enlightening, something they have overlooked for a long time."

Joachim Pissarro, a member of the selection committee who teaches art history at Hunter College of the City University of New York, says he has discovered many accomplished artists of the present generation, although their names are not well known yet.

He says these artists will promote art worldwide, and adds: "Once we all begin to see what's coming out of China, we will understand that the art scene in China is ... far more complex, interesting and exciting than the perception we have in the West."

If you go

10 am-6 pm, closed on Monday, through Aug 15. 32 Baiziwan Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5876-0600.