Custodians of art's stories

Interestingly, the last of these exhibits is provided by Jiang Zhuyun who, with Lu Yang, represents the artists who were taught by Geng and Zhang in the 2000s.

"The lineage between the 1950s generation and the 2000s generation might not be immediate or obvious when we only look at artworks as they explore different subject matter and different formal languages," said co-curator of the show Ozge Ersoy. "But the lineage is evident in their artistic attitude — in other words, in their commitment to constantly search for an individual artistic language and have a sense of responsibility to cultivate the younger generations."

One of the most poignant images in the exhibition is that of ZAFA teachers trying to sift through a pool of submissions from art school aspirants. The year is 1977. After 10 years of political turmoil and cultural churning, the universities in China are ready to reopen and the renewed appetite for art is visibly overwhelming.

The image reaffirms the fact that human beings are predisposed to expressing themselves in art at all times, perhaps especially so in times of crisis — one more reason why such stories of hope and regeneration deserve the love that archivists treat them with.