A contemporary art exhibition combining academic criticism and auction will be held in Beijing from Jan. 9 to 15.

More than 230 contemporary art items by 115 Chinese artists are expected to be on show in the gallery of China Millennium Monument, said Wang Zhongyi, general manager of the Zhonghongxin International Auction Co. Ltd., the show's sponsor.

Twenty-four prominent Chinese art critics, including Shao Dazhen, Shui Tianzhong and Fan Di'an, nominated the artists and evaluated their works, Wang said.

Most of the selected artists, including Luo Guanzhong, Luo Zhongli, Chen Danqing, Fang Lijun, Yuan Xiaofang and Zhang Xiaogang, are young or middle age, with a few older, he said.

The exhibits include paintings, drawings, ink and wash pictures, pictures made of compositive materials, sculptures, photos and installations.

Among the 230 items, 119 will be auctioned off during the exhibition by Zhonghongxin, Wang said.

The exhibition is aimed to combine academic criticism and auction, and establish the critics' authority in the appreciation and collection of the Chinese contemporary art works, said Gao Ling, the exhibition's organizer.

"We hope to make the art critics, the public and art collectors related better," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2006)