As part of the L'Année de la France en Chine 2004-2005, 'Nouvelles Vagues' presents 30 France-based artists in a chronology that extends from 1960s to 1990s, to explore the relationship between still and moving images, and translate the historical development of Centre Pompidou, Paris into a visual narrative through the various artistic practice. Featuring paintings, drawings, photographs, installations and videos, the exhibition travels in three places: Shanghai Art Museum, Guangdong Museum of Art and Beijing World Art Museum during the first half of 2005. Three bilingual essays in the accompanying catalogue bring to light the ideas that fueled the arts in Contemporary France during three periods, 1960s to 70s, 1980s and 1990s.

Participating artists include: Jean-Michel Alberola, Eduardo Arroyo, Christian Boltanski, Jean-Marc Bustamante, Philippe Cognée, Erró, Cécile Fontaine, Bernard Frize, Gérard Fromanger, Jochen Gerz, Téo Hernandez, Valérie Jouve, Thierry Kuntzel, Philippe Grandrieux, Suzanne Lafont, Jean Le Gac, Ange Leccia, Annette Messager, Jacques Monory, Michel Nedjar, Bruno Perramant, Bernard Rancillac, Martial Raysse, Arman, Seton Smith, Pierrick Sorin, Hervé Télémaque, Patrick Tosani, Jacques de La Villeglé, Su-Mei Tse and Nancy Wilson-Pajic.