This book bundles the works of contemporary artists in Belgium and China. China can still be considered as "Terra Incognita" when it comes to art. The image we have of Chinese art is quite cliché: China as an imitator of the western world. A confrontation between Belgian and Chinese contemporary artists is revealing and questions the dominant position of the West, both economically and artistically. This way, the confrontation Brussels/Beijing becomes one between different economic types and the juxtapositions between art and economy. This book is the official catalogue for the exhibition The state of things - Brussels/Beijing, for Europalia China, curated by Luc Tuymans and Ai Weiwei, held in the Fine Arts Museum in Brussels from October 16th 2009 until January 10th 2010. AUTHOR: Luc Tuymans is one of the most respected painters of his generation. His work is largely included in international museums, including the Museum Of Modern Art in New York and the National Museum of Modern Art Georges Pompidou Centre Paris. In 2004, Tate Modern London (UK) scheduled a great solo show of his paintings. This exhibition travelled to the K21 Kunstsammlung Düsseldorf (GER). He participated in the Biennale di Sao Paulo del Brasil in 2004. In 2008 several American museums invited Tuymans to have a large solo exhibition at their institutes. Ai Weiwei is a leading Chinese artist, curator, architectural designer, and cultural and social commentator. Ai was the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest." Although ignored by the Chinese media, he has voiced his anti-Olympics views and later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007 he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. His artwork has been exhibited extensively in Australia, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea and the United States. His work was included in the 48th Venice Biennale 1999, Italy; the First Guangzhou Triennial 2002, China; "Zones of Contact: 2006 Biennale of Sydney"; and Documenta 12, where his monumental outdoor sculpture titled "Template" collapsed after a storm. ILLUSTRATIONS 300 colour illustrations