Pi Li’s text examines the history and emergence of video art in China. Li discusses how the political climate influenced and transformed the ways in which young Chinese artists were making work. The movements of “cynical realism” and “political pop” that Chinese contemporary artists embraced and worked under was first unveiled and exposed to the art viewing public at the 1993 Venice Biennale. Out of these genres and exposure, the artists began to experiment with video, as it was a more difficult medium to commercialize and commodify by Western audiences/galleries, and given its accessibility and opportunity for individualized expression. Li discusses the works and influences of the first Chinese video artists, and offers a breakdown of three primary genres: documentary, narrative and interaction.