In an inspirational essay, former Czech dissident-turned-president and writer Václav Havel states:
History is not something that takes place elsewhere; it takes place here. We all
contribute to making it. If bringing back some human dimension to the world
depends on anything, it depends on how we acquit ourselves in the here and now.1
He points out a simple but often forgotten relationship between us, human beings, and the history or world or reality that we all live in. Our daily experiences and the work we choose to do are informed and shaped by the specific sociopolitical and cultural conditions that we live in; and, vice versa, we, as individuals, contribute to the making of the very conditions through our everyday life and work. My appreciation of Havel’s work sets the basic tone of my approach to art in this book, in which I explore the role of contemporary Chinese art in participating and making the very history/world/reality that Chinese people live in. The book centers on Chinese socially engaged art produced by various art professionals who assume the role of artist, critic, curator, educator, cultural entrepreneur, social activist (among others) as they charge art with the mission of social intervention and participate in the making or challenging of various living conditions. I perceive them as individuals who have made the decision to consciously participate in the making of both art history and social history here and now.