Presentation :

Chinese presence in Spain is increasingly heterogeneous, and this diversity is echoing in the Spanish visual culture. On the one hand there is a growing number of artists coming from China to develop their own cultural projects and, on the other hand, young adults born to Chinese migrants – who are socialized in Spain - are also developing artistic works in which they reflect about different migration processes, itineraries, and identities. This papers aims to analyse visual art - including photography and filmic works - produced by Chinese people in Spain, focusing on the relationship artists maintain with the countries that conform their mobile life – mainly Spain and China -, and the way their works represent migration and mobility.

First will examine the characteristics of the art works themselves. Secondly, we will place the analysis in the context of reception: Through which channels do these works circulate? What are the responses of these works among different social groups? What are their capacities to contest the stereotypes and popular images associated with Chinese migration? By looking at different works created by Chinese people in Spain, this paper aims to cast light on the agency of artistic production and mobility in the representation of migration.