AFTER TARGETING M. F. HUSAIN WITH REVULSIVE relentlessness, the moral police flexed its muscles once again: by manhandling Chandramohan and victimizing Shivaji Panikkar in Baroda, these defenders of the faith showed how by taking umbrage where there is none, they manage to stoke and keep alive the fires of hatred.  It was heartening to see the fractured art community come together to protest against this act of hooliganism. We hope that the culprits are brought to book and artists’ freedom of expression and interpretation is protected. All of you who dispense justice, remember, we are all waiting and watching.

The focus of our issue this time is on China. A country, we have had an intense relationship with. China seems to be going places and India seems to want to keep up with it. Chinese cities are becoming role models for Indian cities. Does Indian art also want to go the way of Chinese art? In the Lead Essay, Karen Smith gives us a historical overview about contemporary art in China and introduces some of the main themes explored by its artists. In their Lead Features, Ingrid Dudek reflects on the growing market for Asian art as Lucian Harris holds forth on the factors governing the international reception of Chinese and Indian art. Jeannine Tang reflects on how China has been represented at the 52nd Venice Biennale and at Documenta 12 in her Lead Feature. Andrew Maerkle interviews Lu Jie of The Long March Project as Nadim Julien Samman introduces the seriously funny public art initiatives of JJ Xi and Cai Yuan. Zehra Jumabhoy reviews The Real Thing, a mega-exhibition of contemporary Chinese art in Liverpool as Sandhya Bordewekar   gets artist Vineet Kumar to discuss the influence of traditional Chinese painting on his work. We also carry Vidura Jang Bahadur’s photo-essay on the Chinese community in India.

We carry all our regular features.

Thanks for your responses to our Photography issue.  Hope you enjoy this one as well. Do write in with your comments and observations.

Warm regards,