“It is extremely difficult to gain artistic freedom, and the Stars had the courage to pay the price for it. The Stars were not there to prove that the road to success was by practicing their art. They were just free spirits, which have gone hand in hand with their success.” - Huang Rui
“Stars are forever Stars. Whether day or night, black sky or white nights, the Stars always shine in the sky. They can be very far, but they always emit their own light.” - Wang Keping
In 1979, a group of self-taught artists in Beijing formed the “ StarsArtGroup “ Among the core members were HuangRui, MaDesheng, WangKeping, and others.
On September 27, the inaugural “Stars Exhibition” took place in the park east of the National Art Museum of China. Without official approval, they set up this open-air exhibit along the museum’s fence. Huang Rui’s paintings expressed despair and hope with the theme of the Old Summer Palace, Wang Keping showed a defiant portrait in wood carving titled #Silence This unconventional aesthetic made a profound impact on Chinese audiences who had just emerged from the tumultuous CulturalRevolution (1966-1976).
Their exhibition was abruptly shut down after two days, but the group’s resolve to break free from oppression was ignited. In October, the streets of Beijing echoed with speeches and recitations. Following their persistent negotiations, the Stars Exhibition resumed in November.
In August 1980, the group was invited for a second “Stars Exhibition” at the National Art Museum of China. Huang Rui unveiled new pieces like “The Guitar’s Story”.
We are revisiting a brief yet profoundly significant period in the history of contemporary Chinese art . The avant-garde essence embodied by the “Stars” artists did not receive the recognition it deserved in art history. Nevertheless, their comprehension and pursuit of artistic freedom have had a significant impact on the development of contemporary Chinese art and its presence on the international stage. We pay tribute to the pioneers who shine eternally in the night sky.
星星美展 45週年：不分晝夜，永遠的星星
「獲得藝術自由 極為不易，星星為此付出了勇氣和代價。星星並不證明藝術踐行的成功之路，只賦有一種如影隨形的自由精神。」- 黃鋭
「星星永遠是星星，不管白天黑夜還是白夜黑天，星星依然在天空閃爍，也許還是那麼遙遠，可是它們發出自己的光。」 - 王克平
「獲得藝術自由 極為不易，星星為此付出了勇氣和代價。星星並不證明藝術踐行的成功之路，只賦有一種如影隨形的自由精神。」- 黃鋭
「星星永遠是星星，不管白天黑夜還是白夜黑天，星星依然在天空閃爍，也許還是那麼遙遠，可是它們發出自己的光。」 - 王克平
1979年5月，一群非學院派的藝術家在北京成立了#星星畫會 。當時的主要成員是：黃鋭、#馬德升、鐘阿城、曲磊磊、王克平、嚴力、薄雲（李永存）、李爽、毛栗子、楊益平等人。這群來自不同社會背景，擁有不同藝術訓練的年輕人，以「星星」強調比喻自己。他們因為相似的思想聚在一起，在痛苦和夢想中尋找藝術的真理。
1979年9月27日，首屆《星星美展》在中國美術館東側的小公園舉行，距離中華人民共和國成立三十周年還有三天。他們未經允許，在公園的柵欄上舉辦了這場戶外展覽。當時中國美術館正在展出《建國三十周年全國美展》，但館外公園的鐵柵欄和樹上卻起起伏伏地掛滿了150件繪畫、雕塑和版畫。這批作品不同尋常，黃銳的油畫《圓明園遺囑》和《圓明園新生》將幾尊殘存石柱描繪成了類似於人的形體，在歷經磨難後迎來藍天下的重生；王克平的木雕《沉默》懸掛在柵欄上，留下無聲卻不甘屈服於痛苦的面孔。「星星畫會」與主流不同的美學風格給剛剛經歷文革十年傷痛的中國人非同一般的震懾。
《星星美展》僅舉辦兩天便被取締，但掙脫束縛，渴望春天的意志蔓延在這群年輕人之中。10月的北京街頭，人潮湧動，講演此起彼伏。經過多次協商，他們爭取到了展覽機會，《星星美展》於11月在北海公園的畫舫齋繼續展覽，參展藝術家由最開始的23位增至27位，共展出170件作品，成為中國當代藝術史上的里程碑。
1980年8月，「星星畫會」受邀在中國美術館的三樓展廳裡舉辦第二屆《星星美展》。共31位藝術家參展。黃鋭展出了新作《琴聲訴》等油畫。
我們此次回顧現代中國美術史上一个短暫但極其重要的階段。「星星」藝術家的前衛性在藝術史上往往沒有得到應有的重視，但他們對藝術和生命意義的理解和追求，為當代中國藝術的發展及其登上國際舞台產生重大影響。我們致敬在夜空中永恆閃耀的先行者。
