1. 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

2. “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

3. Wang Guangyi (b. 1956) “Great Criticism Series: Coca-Cola” (2000)

4. Wang Guangyi (b. 1956) “Great Criticism Series: Chanel No. 5” (2001)

5. Fang Lijun (b. 1963), “Series 2, No. 2” (1991-1992)

6. Yue Minjun (b. 1962) “A Pyramid” (2001)

7. Zhang Xiaogang (b. 1958) “Bloodlines Series” (1995)

8. Liu Xiaodong (b. 1963), “Sanxia Da Yimin”

9. Art and the new nation (1949-1956)
1954, Chairman Mao gives us a happy life
1950, Celebrating National Day
Source: chineseposters.net

10. Celebrating the Great Leap Forward (1956-1960)
1959, The virtues of the canteen system
1958, Study the Soviet Union
1958, People’s communes

11. Defining China’s domestic and foreign image
1962, Hard work and fragrant flowers
1965, Anti-American imperialism

12. The Cultural Revolution (1966-76)
1968, MZD thought in literature and arts
1966, Building a new world with MZD thought
1970, Revolution and production

13. The post-reform period: progressing towards modernity
1986
1997, One country,
two systems
1987, One-child policy

14. 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
: 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
: freeze on exhibitions
1990s: opening to global market; “Mao Craze”, Cynical Realist, Political Pop

15. Inside the Chinese contemporary art scene

16. Artists as provocateurs
Artists as cultural workers ( )
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

17. 2007, “Template” (before and after collapse), Kassel, Germany
1995, “Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn”

18. Li Jikai (b. 1975) “Dirt 7” (2001)

19. Li Jikai (b. 1975) “Break Out of Soil” (2006)

20. Wei Jia (b. 1975), “Discover” (2007)

21. Qiu Xiaofei (b. 1977) “Pagoda of the Discarded No. 8” (2008)

22. Han Yajuan (b. 1980) “Vodka with Red Bull” (2008)

23. Cao Fei (b. 1978), “Cos Players” (2004)

24. Cao Fei (b. 1978), “Whose Utopia” (2006-07)

25. Cao Fei (b. 1978), “RMB City” (2008)

26. Cao Fei (b. 1978), “RMB City” (2008) (characters China Tracy and China Sun)

27. Chi Peng (b. 1981) “Sprinting Forward” (2004)

28. “Infantization” (Guodong Shidai) group show, Shanghai Art Museum, May 28, 2007

29. The Rising Tide Dir. Robert Adanto (2008)
(0:00-4:56)
(0:55-4:31)

30. Implications of art world development for state-society relations
2010, Guangzhou Opera House
2005, condemned building, Beijing

31. 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”?