Part of a DVD series produced by China Institute featuring intimate discussions with artists, curators, critics and art historians about contemporary Chinese art from the perspectives of society and politics, the relationship between contemporary Chinese and Western culture, and the bridge between traditional and contemporary Chinese art.

Chen Qiulin’s performances in post-industrial spaces among steel, rubble, rivers, and factories bridge aspects of traditional Chinese culture with a dramatic, personal approach to the changing Chinese landscape. Childhood memories of her hometown Wanzhou, a typical Yangzi River town flooded as a result of the Three Gorges Dam project, are documented in 3 short films, in photographs and in installations. Also addressed throughout her work are issues of modernization and the complexity of emotions felt by women in contemporary society. Since graduating from the Sichuan Fine Arts Academy in 2000, she has participated in important exhibitions such as 'The Wall: Reshaping Contemporary Chinese Art' in Beijing and the Albright-Knox Museum, and 'This is Not For You: Sculptural Discourses' at Thyssen Bornemisza in Vienna. In 2006, Ms. Chen was awarded a 6-month grant from the Asian Cultural Council to work in the United States.

This video features Chen Qiulin in conversation with France Pepper, Director of Arts & Culture Programs at China Institute. DVD contains an English and Mandarin version (1:03:00 mins). Includes artist bio.