Shenzhen OCT Contemporary Art Terminal
Shenzhen OCT Contemporary Art Terminal (OCAT Shenzhen) was founded in 2005 and is based in OCT Loft, Overseas Chinese Town of Shenzhen. OCAT Shenzhen is the headquarters of the group of OCAT museums. As the earliest art establishment among the members of the OCAT museum group, OCAT Shenzhen has a long-term commitment to the practice and research in the field of contemporary art and theory both inside of China and in the international arena.
The programme of OCAT focuses both on in-depth survey, research, publication and exhibition of the practice of individual artists and on research-based thematic exhibitions. In addition to OCAT Exhibitions, OCAT Performs and OCAT Screens are annual programmes showcasing performing practices and theoretical discussions in art, dance and theatre, as well as screening of and lectures on documentary, video art and films. Accompanying the exhibitions, performances and screenings that OCAT organizes as well as visits by artists, curators, art critics and scholars to OCAT, OCAT Library initiates lectures, conversations and other forms of discursive activities in the library in OCAT Shenzhen and publishes part of its content in book forms, providing documents and reading materials for a wider public and researchers. In OCAT Shenzhen, publishing is both prompted by its exhibitions but can also function as an independent form of artistic and conceptual articulation and experimentation. The conception, editing and design of its publications could be employed as a form of artistic practice in parallel to the exhibition. As always, young practitioners as well as recent development in visionary and progressive thinking and discovery in art are central to the programme of OCAT Shenzhen. OCAT Youth Project was launched to present the recent work, experience, thoughts and imagination of artists, curators and critics active in the present.
