A repressive autocracy, a global player, an economic superpower with a thirst for expansion – the European perception of China is characterised by a series of recurring attributes. Mistrust and curiosity are just as prevalent as criticism and fascination for the People’s Republic of China. But how do Chinese artists see themselves? What images do they find to depict the realities of life in their country? And what do their personal views tell us about society as a whole? The INSIDE VIEWS exhibition brings together works by eleven artists from China, created from the start of the milennium onward, against a backdrop of rapid economic growth and radical social change.

All of the images shown in the INSIDE VIEWS exhibition focus on the individual and their relationship to the surrounding society – whether it be private relationships or dependencies on societal structures. The initial point and motif is often the body. It functions as a foundation for experimentation, as a medium, sign and material. The spectrum of works ranges from Zhang Huan’s (*1965) body stagings following his performances, to Chen Ronghui (*1989) and his series Freezing Land on the consequences of structural change, to Luo Yang (*1984), whose photographs of young women portray a self-confident generation that is nevertheless struggling to find its identity and place.