By Li Guohua

L-ART GALLERY will officially open on November 9, located within the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning, a cultural landmark of futuristic design and integrated function. This very choice is a declaration in itself: we are not merely situated within a physical space, but are consciously embedding ourselves in the forefront of China’s contemporary art development and urban cultural evolution.

The birth, growth, and rise of Chinese contemporary art have resonated in step with the emergence of China’s market economy following the reform and opening-up. It is through the vitality of capital, the collision of ideas, and the flourishing of culture brought forth by the market economy that the ecosystem of Chinese contemporary art has evolved from nothing, gradually constructing its own networks of creation, criticism, and collection, and has grown into a system of considerable scale and influence today.

Looking back over more than three decades, since the first generation of galleries with modern significance emerged in China in the 1990s, hundreds of galleries have since spread across the country like stars in the night sky. They have not only become commercial hubs for the circulation of artworks, but also key nodes for artist incubation, value formation, and artistic progression. It is within this ecosystem’s nourishment and momentum that the livelihood and work of art practitioners have found a basic foundation; meanwhile, explorations in the language of contemporary art, and its breadth and depth of engagement with social realities, have achieved remarkable progress on both domestic and international levels.

However, the advancement of history and the expansion of the market—while bringing prosperity—inevitably give rise to new challenges and questions. When art production and consumption are increasingly drawn into the global current of commercialization; when market indicators are mistaken as the sole measure of artistic value; when the clamor of trends drowns out the profound inquiries of individual creation—we cannot help but ask: beyond market success, what deeper mission does art bear in our time? As a bridge between art and the public, between creation and history, should the role of a gallery be limited merely to the discovery of value and the realization of price?

It is amid such questioning that L-ART GALLERY came into being. We firmly believe that the responsibility of a gallery extends far beyond the exhibition and sale of artworks. It should be a space of intellectual discernment and historical responsibility, an active agent that participates in the writing of art history rather than merely recording its course.

Thus, L-ART GALLERY proposes its core mission: “Advancing the Art History of the 21st Century.” This is not an empty slogan, but rather the gallery’s fundamental stance and guiding principle. It signifies that our focus will lie deep within the refinement and innovation of artistic language, and that we are committed to discovering practices that not only hold market potential but also possess solid academic foundations, distinctive personal styles, and profound engagement with the spirit of our time.

We are concerned with how art-through its unique modes of perception —can capture, reflect upon, and even shape the shared experiences and conditions of humanity in the 21st century: from reflections on technological ethics to warnings about ecological crises, from the fluidity of identity to the transformations of urban civilization. Through systematic efforts and initiatives, we aim to establish platforms for the exhibition, discussion, and collection of artworks that hold historical value, striving to ensure they are not obscured by the shortsighted logic of commerce or the restless currents of public opinion.

The writing of art history has never been a settled retrospective, but a dynamic and ongoing process of contestation and creation. Every gallery with ideals and vision, every artist, curator, critic, and collector who participates, is both a contributor and a shaper of this living history. Therefore, a gallery is not merely a physical venue—it is a platform for value judgment, cultural awareness, and historical vision.

L-ART GALLERY hereby solemnly s its participation in this unfolding chapter.