Contemporary British art has evolved from a pure aesthetic theme to more social and popular perspectives. Artists express themselves, their attitude toward society and the issues that ordinary people care about. This trend can be viewed in a recent exhibition held at the Capital Museum.

The show, entitled Aftershock: Contemporary British Art 1990-2006, gathers the works of sculptures, paintings, video works, installations and photographs by 12 top artists.

As members of the Young British Artists (YBA), which was founded in 1988, the participants of the latest show, including Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Sarah Lucas, expound issues surrounding life, death and sex with their respective artistic languages. The show, as its name suggests, explores the evolution of contemporary British art of that period and the conceptual approaches of the artists.

Jake & Dinos Chapman's sculpture Ubermensch was produced in 1995 with fiberglass, resin and paint. The 366cm-tall giant work features a cliff, on top of which the famous British physicist and mathematician Stephen Hawking sits in his wheelchair. Balancing dangerously on the edge, the scientist's eyes glaze over to the remote emptiness. Here, the artist conveys the physical limitation that the scientist could not go beyond.

Mark Wallinger's video work, Threshold to the Kingdom is worth enjoying quietly. A video camera is set up by the artist to face the international flight passengers' arrival gate at London City Airport. The door opens and closes and passengers shuttle in from around the world. With smiling or expressionless faces they enter the domain of the Kingdom. Recording the ordinary scene, Wallinger edited and slowed down the footage, changing the drama in this small yet symbolic event. The time is compressed and space is condensed, the brightness casts from the roof. Holy music, which accompany the scene floods from all directions.

Gillian Wearing's video projection Sixty Minute Silence produces the illusion of vision and consciousness. Sarah Lucas's self-portrait photograph series uses herself as a medium to discuss the position of women in the society. Damien Hirst's installation, using colored butterflies and razors, discloses the truth of life and death as well as beauty and danger.

Text by Wu Liping and photos by Jiang Dong

30 yuan. 9am-5pm, until May 11.
Address: Capital Museum, 16 Fuxingmenwai Dajie, Xicheng District.
TEL: 010-6337-0491.