The International Research Network for Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art was launched March 19, 2015 in connection with the international symposium “(In-)direct speech. ‘Chineseness’ in contemporary art discourse and practice. Art market, curatorial practices and creative processes” at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Lisbon, Portugal, organized and conceptualized by Franziska Koch (Heidelberg University) and Rui Oliveira Lopes (University of Lisbon). A founding committee of 14 members, most of which were present in Lisbon, helped to introduce the aims and objectives and discussed possible future structures and activities.
Meanwhile the selected proceedings of the symposium are about to be published in the fall issue 2016 of the Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art (JCCA, Intellect Publishers).