Ink and brush painting is a traditional Chinese art form that emerged more than a century ago. An exhibition in Beijing shows how the tradition remains important in the modern era. "Legend of Ink and Brush" opened in Beijing over the weekend at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The exhibition aims to trace the development of the genre into modern times. It showcases the works of eight of the most established ink and brush artists of contemporary China. Among them are Liu Guosong, Xu Bing and Qin Feng.

The title for the exhibition "Legend of Ink and Brush" implies the art may have been handed down from a venerable ancient tradition. But it has undergone drastic changes in the contemporary era.

Contemporary ink and brush art developed as a result of experimentation by Taiwan artists during the 1960's and mainland artists during the 1980s. The art form was considered the embodiment of the lofty spirit of ancient Chinese literati. Now, it became more focused on individual expression.

The venue of the exhibition is tucked away in Songzhuang of suburban Beijing. It is a vibrating center that celebrates contemporary art.

Hu Jiebao, head of Songzhuang Town, said, "This exhibition is a prelude to the fourth Songzhuang Arts Festival. It's significant from the academic perspective. It explores the changing course of ink and brush art from a regional genre to an internationally recognized branch of art and from an age-old tradition to an avant-garde art form."

This is the first round of the exhibition. It will include a dozen shows with different themes and artists. The show will later tour Germany, the US and the Taiwan region.