To highlight the further expansion of BSI bank in Asian markets, BSI organized a major exhibition of contemporary Chinese art in Lugano. The exhibition, entitled 'Free Zone: China', was held at the Spazio in BSI at Via Magatti 2, from April to June 2008. Works by twenty of China’s most internationally renowned artists, from the BSI Art Collection and from private collections were shown.

Extensively researched and carefully selected, the works on display are designed to show the climate of progressive cultural opening in China and to support the work of artists that are making the country a focus of worldwide attention. To give a better idea of the various approaches and the movement through the generations, the twenty artists chosen have been divided into three categories: the ‘historical’ artists (including Ma Liuming, Cui Xiuwen and Feng Zhengjie), who had to face and overcome serious problems with censorship; the ‘intellectuals’ (including Liu Ding, Shi Jinsong, Wu Xiaojun, Bai Yiluo and Jiang Zhi), who were the first to initiate a Chinese dialogue with conceptual art; and the ‘cartoon generation’ (including Chen Ke, Gao Yu and Han Yajuan), who are young, unconcerned and used to the feeling of freedom.

List of works included.