Li Xianting is an independent art critic

Art critic

An art critic is a person who specializes in evaluating art. Their written critiques, or reviews, are published in newspapers, magazines, books and on web sites...

 and curator of contemporary Chinese art

Chinese art

Chinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...

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In the late seventies and eighties, Li Xianting was involved in advocating and introducing the avant-garde art form in China. He organized the “Stars exhibition” in 1979, and coined the terms “Cynical Realism

Cynical Realism

Cynical realism is a contemporary movement in Chinese art, especially in the form of painting, that began in the 1990s. Beginning in Beijing, it has become the most popular Chinese contemporary art movement in mainland China. It arose through the pursuit of individual expression by Chinese artists...

”http://artists.trishiak.com/2008/11/chinese-art-cynical-realism-en.html and “Political Pop”. He also lectured and curated international shows, including the China Pavilion at the 45th Venice Biennale

Venice Biennale

The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...

(1995). He is now the director of Songzhuang Art Museum http://www.artnewsonline.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2456 and Li Xianting's Film Fund http://www.lixianting.org.