art, media and politics in mainland china
DESCRIPTION
Art, Media and Politics in Mainland China. CCCH9017 People, Propaganda and Profit: Understanding Media in China. Ling-Yun Tang, Dept. of Sociology, HKU November 10, 2010. “ Art Worlds”. Howard Becker (1982): - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Art, Media and Politics in Mainland China
CCCH9017
People, Propaganda and Profit: Understanding Media in China
Ling-Yun Tang, Dept. of Sociology, HKU
November 10, 2010
“Art Worlds”Howard Becker (1982):
"the network of people whose cooperative activity, organized via their joint knowledge of conventional means of doing things, produce(s) the kind of art works that art world is noted for."
Factory 798, Beijing
Wang Guangyi (b. 1956)
“Great Criticism Series: Coca-Cola” (2000)
Wang Guangyi (b. 1956)“Great Criticism Series: Chanel No. 5” (2001)
Fang Lijun (b. 1963), “Series 2, No. 2” (1991-1992)
Yue Minjun (b. 1962)“A Pyramid” (2001)
Zhang Xiaogang (b. 1958)“Bloodlines Series” (1995)
Liu Xiaodong (b. 1963), “Sanxia Da Yimin”
Art and the new nation (1949-1956)
1950, Celebrating National Day 1954, Chairman Mao gives us a happy life
Source: chineseposters.net
Celebrating the Great Leap Forward (1956-1960)
1958, Study the Soviet Union
1958, People’s communes
1959, The virtues of the canteen system
Defining China’s domestic and foreign image
1962, Hard work and fragrant flowers
1965, Anti-American imperialism
The Cultural Revolution (1966-76)
1966, Building a new world
with MZD thought
1970, Revolution and production
1968, MZD thought in literature and arts
The post-reform period:progressing towards modernity
1986
1997, One country, two systems
1987, One-child policy
Art world timeline (1949-1990s)
• 1950s-60s: Artists born in these decades mandated to create politically correct art, serving Party, revolution
• 1950: CAFA founded (Min. of Educ.)--introduced curriculum based on Marxism-Leninism and taught Soviet style socialist realism
• 1966-76: CAFA at center of propaganda machine (did not ease up till Deng reforms)
• Late-1970s: “art of the wounded”, Star Group• Mid-1980s: abstract expressionism, ‘80s wave• 1989-1992: freeze on exhibitions• 1990s: opening to global market; “Mao Craze”,
Cynical Realist, Political Pop
Inside the Chinese contemporary art scene
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhsCDqGb_LE
Artists as provocateurs
• Artists as cultural workers (1949-1976)
• Artists as creators of unique works of art
• Artists as entrepreneurs• Artists as partners in
the process of “creative destruction” of cities
• Artists as social commentators and critics
Ai Weiwei (b. 1957), “Sunflower Seeds” (2010), sculpture installation, Tate Modern, UK
1995, “Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn”
2007, “Template” (before and after collapse), Kassel, Germany
Li Jikai (b. 1975) “Dirt 7” (2001)
Li Jikai (b. 1975) “Break Out of Soil”
(2006)
Wei Jia (b. 1975), “Discover” (2007)
Qiu Xiaofei (b. 1977)“Pagoda of the Discarded No. 8” (2008)
Han Yajuan (b. 1980)
“Vodka with Red Bull”
(2008)
Cao Fei (b. 1978), “Cos Players” (2004)
Cao Fei (b. 1978), “Whose Utopia” (2006-07)
Cao Fei (b. 1978), “RMB City” (2008)
Cao Fei (b. 1978), “RMB City” (2008)(characters China Tracy and China Sun)
Chi Peng (b. 1981)“Sprinting Forward” (2004)
“Infantization” (Guodong Shidai)
group show, Shanghai Art
Museum, May 28, 2007
The Rising Tide
Dir. Robert Adanto (2008)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA3enB0G2sM (0:00-4:56)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlfaN_bz8bQ&feature=related (0:55-4:31)
Implications of art world development for state-society relations
2005, condemned building, Beijing
2010, Guangzhou Opera House
Artists’ struggle for professional status (Kraus 2004)
• Viewing art as being “politicized” not very illuminating
• For artists, commercial pressures have replaced political ones
• Quest for professional autonomy--not simply artists being “rebels”
• State now sharing patronage with diffuse commercial market
• Artistic autonomy is not a matter of conscious policy
• How to preserve “socialist spiritual civilization”?