Aftershock is a new exhibition of contemporary British art selected especially for China which the British Council presented in Guangzhou and Beijing. It provided audiences with the first opportunity to see major works by 12 of the most significant artists of the generation which came to prominence during the early-mid 1990s, a period which saw British art re-emerge as a dominant force on the world stage. The title of the exhibition refers to this recent legacy and its ongoing effect. It also reflects the fact that a decade on, despite shifting political and social change, the work of the 12 selected artists retains the power and authority to contribute to contemporary debate, and to this end the exhibition includes both iconic works from the 1990s and new work made in the past year.