The sources of new media art include conceptual art of the 1960s, much influenced by Marcel Duchamp, the Manifesto of Futurism and the Dada movement, as well as performance art from the 1970s born out of "happening" art, and so on. Meanwhile, avant-garde art labs also saw kinetic art and rudimentary digital art works combined with mechanical art. Communications and cooperation have become a focus for artists in this field, who keep exploring new modes of behavior and new media in attempt to create new thinking, new human experiences and even a new world.

The most distinct feature of new media art is its convertibility and interactivity. First of all, one must get connected and then venture deep into the works (not simply appreciate them from a distance), but interact with the system and others. This will lead to a transformation between the works and one's consciousness, and finally the individual will see an emergence of a brand-new vision, relationship, way of thinking and experience.

Generally, new media art refers to art works created by circuits and computers. However, art based on silicon crystals and electronics is now gradually merging with biology and concepts from bio-molecular science and genetics.

New media art began to develop in China at the end of the 1980s, and by the mid-1990s, a number of excellent works and sophisticated artists had emerged. In September 1996, China's first video art exhibition, Vision and Video, planned by Wu Meichun, was held at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. The exhibition created a far-reaching influence in art circles and was regarded as a milestone for Chinese modern art.

In the late 1990s, with the development of the information technology industry, editing devices in PCs became more affordable and prevalent. This lured more artists to explore interactive media, which is becoming a new, important trend in the Chinese arts.