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Arts & Communication

ARTICLE
Sound creation and cross-cultural

communication in contemporary Chinese art:
From the 1980s to the present

Yuxin Xiao*

Institute of Arts Administration and Education, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China

Abstract

This study explores how Chinese sound art in exhibition contexts has evolved since
the 1980s and examines its interactions with Western sound art. It provides a detailed
analysis of representative exhibitions and works to investigate the creative concepts,
cultural backgrounds, and international influences shaping Chinese sound art. While
Chinese sound art has roots in local experimentation, it has increasingly integrated
into the international exhibition system, gaining recognition through frequent
exchanges and participation in global events. The study highlights a gap in academic
attention toward the unique challenges and opportunities present in the exhibition
environments of Chinese sound art. By adopting a methodological approach
*Corresponding author: that combines historical analysis with case studies of key exhibitions, it traces the
Yuxin Xiao transformation of sound art into an independent artistic language in China. In
(12221300036@cafa.edu.cn) addition, it examines conceptual, technical, and cultural distinctions between sound
Citation: Xiao Y. Sound creation art in China and the West, shedding light on how these differences shape artistic
and cross-cultural communication practices and audience experiences. Ultimately, the study argues that Chinese sound
in contemporary Chinese art: From
the 1980s to the present. art has developed a distinctive sound esthetics that intertwines traditional cultural
Arts & Communication. symbols with contemporary global influences, marking its significance as a critical
2025;3(3):4669. component of the evolving international sound art discourse.
doi: 10.36922/ac.4669
Received: August 27, 2024
Keywords: Chinese sound art; Exhibition history; Cultural communication
1st revised: September 23, 2024
2nd revised: October 22, 2024
Accepted: November 4, 2024 1. Introduction
Published online: December 16,
2024 Since the 1960s, Western artists such as Max Neuhaus and Maryanne Amacher have
regarded sound as an artistic element. However, the concept of “sound art” has long
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article remained undefined, and the construction of a comprehensive history of sound art has
distributed under the terms been proven both difficult. Contemporary sound studies frequently discuss the concept
1,2
of the Creative Commons
AttributionNoncommercial License, of sound art as a medium for video, film, and performance art or as an independent art
permitting all non-commercial use, form in exhibition spaces. Sound does not necessarily encompass a musical narrative in
distribution, and reproduction in any such frameworks; rather, it can manifest purely as a natural or technological phenomenon.
medium, provided the original work
is properly cited. In exhibition contexts, the more abstract the visual art, the more pronounced the value of
sound. Sound has become an essential feature in galleries, museums, and biennials but it
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with remains an emerging and evolving field of study in the art world. 3
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Sound art continued to evolve with the compositions of John Cage and the Fluxus
affiliations. movement and gradually became recognized as a unique form of artistic creation.

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/ac.4669