Showcasing the 'fourth history' of Chinese animation

A major new exhibition in Shanghai is spotlighting the bold reinvention of Chinese animation, one that trades mass-market entertainment for immersive art.

"The 25th Anniversary Exhibition of the New Chinese School Animation," now underway at the Being Museum through September 10, features 28 works by 21 pioneering artists, including Bu Hua, Cao Shu and Zhou Xiaohu.

Curated by animation scholar and artist Cao Kai, the exhibition showcases how Chinese animation is created, viewed and understood.

These artists are part of a movement Cao calls the "fourth history" of Chinese animation – contemporary work that reinterprets and expands on the legacy of the mid-20th century "Chinese School."

That earlier wave, internationally acclaimed for its fusion of traditional art forms such as ink painting, paper-cutting, shadow puppetry, and woodblock prints, produced iconic films like "Baby Tadpoles Look for Their Mother," "The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven," and "Prince Ne Zha's Triumph Against Dragon King."

"But that golden age has long passed," Cao said. "Since the 2000s, a new generation of artists has begun using contemporary art concepts to reframe and reinvent Chinese animation."

In the early days, most of the work came out of studios – especially the Shanghai Animation Studio. But now, it's more about individual creators and independent voices, said Gerben Schermer, director of the Holland Animation Film Festival and the exhibition's academic adviser.

One key challenge, he noted, is the lack of public screening spaces for non-commercial work. With cinemas favoring mainstream films, many animation artists have turned to museums and digital platforms to share their creations.

"That's what you're seeing here – they are building their own screening environments," Schermer said.

They turn their works into installations, projecting them onto walls, surrounding them with drawings, materials, objects, even furniture.

"It's no longer just about watching a film; you're stepping into it. You become part of the scene," he said, explaining that's what's so powerful about this exhibition – the environment itself becomes part of the storytelling.

David Elliott, renowned curator and art writer, described the show as "fantastic" and "deeply educational," praising how it "reflects the present, projects into the future, and revisits the past."

If you go:

Date: Through September 10

Admission: Free

Venue: Being Art Museum

Address: 135 Hongfeng Road, Pudong New Area