The Iron Dragon

This book investigates the Chinese contemporary art movement through interviews with ten representative artists, such as Huang Rui, widely known for their social and cultural criticism. It includes interviews with two of the founding members of the Chinese avant-garde art group "Stars," which was the first publicly active art collective to protest against government censorship after the Cultural Revolution. The author interviews also younger artists belonging to the generation born in the market-oriented China, such as Liu Bolin or Li Wei, whose works are nevertheless deeply concerned and highly socially engaged. All these artists explore different mediums including photography, printmaking, installation art, and performance art.

Annarita Curcio has a degree in cinema studies at the University of Rome and an MA in photogrpahy from Durham University (UK). She writes for Cultframe, Quaderni asiatici, and Gente di fotografia. She also works as curator for several exhibitions.