Published in conjunction with the "8+8-1 — Selected Paintings by 15 Contemporary Artists" travelling exhibition, this book features 15 leading figures of the Chinese Avant-Garde. The exhibition first opened in Hong Kong at the Schoeni Art Gallery in 1997, and was then taken to Chicago, Vancouver, London and Berlin.

The 8+8-1 exhibition curated by Schoeni Art Gallery was a group exhibition of small panel oil paintings by China’s leading artists, including Wang Jin Song [Wang Jinsong] 王勁松; Zeng Fan Zhi [Zeng Fanzhi] 曾梵志; Xin Hai Zhou [Xin Haizhou] 忻海洲; Qi Zhi Long [Qi Zhilong] 祁志龍; Liu Wei 劉煒; Yue Min Jun [Yue Minjun] 岳敏君; Guo Jin 郭晉; Zhang Xiao Gang [Zhang Xiaogang] 張曉剛; Mai Jin Yao [Mai Jinyao 麥錦銚; Zhang Bin 張瀕; Yang Shao Bin [Yang Shaobin] 楊少斌; Guo Wei 郭偉; Zhang Gong 張弓; Liu Xiao Dong [Liu Xiaodong] 劉小東; Wang Guang Yi [Wang Guangyi] 王廣義.

The project is based on a series of small paintings of between thirty to ninety nine pieces, created by each of the 15 artists especially for the exhibition. Curator of the exhibition Manfred Schoeni commented in his forword: "Chinese art of today presents us with an extraordinary insight into the changes and advances which are taking place in China itself. This is a time of enormous creativity and economic change in China. It is for this reason that I decided to invite 15 of China’s leading avant-garde artists to try to capture on a series of small panels something of the essence of their work. I hope that this exhibition will bring an understanding of the art and genius of some of China’s leading artists."