The 8 of Paths introduces 22 young artists from Beijing by means of large-format pictures as well as texts on their lives and works. It shows a generation that has worked for new possibilities and freedoms. Contrary to the common Western depiction of a monolithic state apparatus, multiplicities develop in China that result in a new self-image of artistic personality in the conflict between the public and the private of Chinese coinage. In addition several essays provide a fascinating overview of the current art scene in Beijing and an informative look back at their development since the beginning of the 1990s.