"Materialist" by Wang Guangyi, displayed in the "Standing Chinese exhibition." [Global Times]

While the recent inclusion of a selection of contemporary Chinese artworks in exhibitions held at state-run museums across the country has been considered by many as a sign that Chinese contemporary art has been officially embraced by the government, others in the art world are calling for more to be done to recognize the genre.

Work by famous artists Zhang Xiaogang, Liu Xiaodong and Wang Guangyi, have appeared in several large-scale exhibitions commemorating the 6oth anniversary of New China. The contemporary pieces on display have avant-garde concepts and are being juxtaposed with mainstream works depicting the achievements of the Chinese Communist Party since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

In the exhibition "Standing Chinese," jointly held by Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture and Guangdong Art Museum, Political Pop artist Wang Guangyi's representative installation "Materialist" is on display, surrounded by pieces praising the country's achievements after the reform and opening-up policy.

An internationally renowned contemporary artist, Wang is famous for his reflections on the impacts that the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) had on Chinese people. His ironic depictions of Chairman Mao Zedong with a gloomy expression have been widely popular with collectors both from home and abroad.

Wang Huangsheng, former director of Guangdong Art Museum and curator of the exhibition, said that the installation looks "in harmony" with the mainstream works.

A piece of Zhang Xiaogang's "Bloodline" series is also on display as part of the grand exhibition "Sixty Year's of Fine Art in the New China," at the National Art Museum of China, seen as the national museum's first embrace of the Political Pop artist.

Despite the recent inclusions, many art critics and museum directors have commented that China needs to go further than simply exhibit several pieces of work at state-run museums. Many in the art world are calling for the government to pay serious attention to establishing a collecting system for contemporary art.