Contemporary art rides a wave of popularity in Xiamen recently. [Photo/sunnews.cn]

An exhibition -- Xiamen Time -- featuring the works of seven of Fujian province's native artists, opened in Fujian's Xiamen recently, attracting many local residents.

The artists, most of whom currently live in Xiamen, are representative of contemporary artists that have emerged in recent years. They brought a variety of works, including installation art and paintings, to the exhibition.

"Urban development needs the injection of contemporary art to guide aesthetics. We want to let more people to pay attention to contemporary art through the exhibition," said Ren Hongwei, one of the organizers of the exhibition.

Ren also said many local artists, who are active on the international and domestic art stage, have returned to their hometown to hold shows and activities or set up institutions in recent years.

It has been more than 30 years since the start of Chinese contemporary art. Over the last decade, contemporary artworks have been setting records in the Chinese art auction market, attracting attention from all walks of life.

Xiamen, located on the southeast coast, has obvious geographical advantages in developing contemporary art. The "Xiamen Dada" movement, for example, established by a group of artists in the 1980s, plays an important role in the story of China's contemporary art.