When combined, `当代 (dāngdài)` literally means “the current era.” `艺术 (yìshù)` is the standard word for “art.” So, 当代艺术 is a direct and logical construction: “art of the current era.”
The emergence of 当代艺术 is one of the most significant cultural phenomena in post-reform China. Before the 1980s, art was largely state-controlled and served a political purpose (e.g., Socialist Realism). The “Reform and Opening Up” (改革开放) policy created a space for artistic freedom and experimentation that was previously unimaginable. Key themes in Chinese contemporary art include:
Comparison to Western “Contemporary Art”: While the English term is the same, the context is vastly different. Western contemporary art evolved more gradually from modernism, dealing with its own set of historical and philosophical questions. Chinese 当代艺术, however, represents a sudden, explosive break from a highly restrictive past. It's a direct response to a unique and compressed period of national transformation. For example, while an American artist might critique consumerism through the lens of Andy Warhol, a Chinese artist like Wang Guangyi does so by juxtaposing it with the imagery of the Cultural Revolution, creating a layer of meaning completely unique to the Chinese experience.
当代艺术 is a specific, somewhat formal term. You'll hear it in contexts related to culture, academia, and the art market.
The term carries a neutral-to-positive connotation. It's associated with being modern, international, and thought-provoking. You would not use it to describe a traditional landscape painting or a child's drawing.