Problems of perception of abstract art in Chinese society (using the example of Heilongjiang Province)

The article examines the problem of perception of abstract art in Chinese society using the example of Heilongjiang Province. It analyzes the reasons for the marginalization of abstract painting within the structure of the local art market, as well as the mechanisms shaping the aesthetic preferences of the public. The subject of the study is the interrelation between aesthetic education, cultural capital, the institutional environment of galleries, and the level of reception of innovative artistic forms. It examines how the listed components are connected to each other. Aesthetic education determines the initial basis of audience evaluations. Cultural capital provides the ability to go beyond figuration. The institutional environment of galleries either helps interpret innovative forms or reinforces their rejection. The level of reception serves as the final indicator of this complex connection. Thus, the subject of the study covers the structural dependencies between education, cultural resources, gallery operations, and the perception of new art. The research methodology includes cultural-historical, comparative, genre-stylistic, semiotic, and sociological methods. The theoretical foundation consists of P. Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital, H. R. Jauss’s receptive aesthetics, and W. Worringer’s theory of abstraction. The empirical basis comprises a survey (N=212) and a survey of 21 galleries in Heilongjiang Province (March–June 2025). The scientific novelty lies in the fact that, for the first time at the regional level (Heilongjiang Province), a systematic analysis of structural factors hindering the spread of abstract art has been carried out using quantitative and qualitative methods. The share of abstract painting in the surveyed galleries is only 4.3%, and its distribution is extremely uneven and concentrated mainly in border cities (for example, in Heihe). The key barriers to reception are: the conservative “horizon of expectation” of the public, a deficit of systematic aesthetic education, and the institutional weakness of galleries. The marginalization of abstract painting is caused not by its inherent elitism, but by the gap between the field of cultural production and the field of mass reception. Overcoming this situation requires systemic changes in the sphere of art education and the development of cultural mediation institutions.