Dynamic digital creations

A recent fair in Jiangsu's provincial capital presented new media art, which is a relatively novel genre in the country, Zhang Kun reports in Nanjing.

Nanjing Art Fair International claims to be China's first such event to solely feature video and new media art.

This year's edition of the event, which took place from Nov 26 to 29, presented a visual extravaganza to more than 40,000 visitors at the Nanjing International Exhibition Center in Jiangsu province's capital.

The fair wasn't disrupted by the pandemic since new media art doesn't require the complicated process of international shipping, even though 60 percent of the participating galleries are from overseas.

"Nanjing is a city of rich cultural heritage, and I'd like to present a modern and fashionable side of the city," chief curator Kong Chao says, explaining the decision to focus on the genre.

Also, the nearby city of Shanghai hosts several well-established art fairs. So, NAFI, which was founded last year, chose new media to set itself apart.

NAFI2020 was hosted by Nanjing's publicity department and cultural and tourism administration, and featured exhibitions from 27 galleries and four museums.

Most galleries were from abroad, Kong says, because new media art is better developed in the West, where it's also popular.

"In fact, Nanjing has many collectors interested in new media art," Kong says.