Deconstructing Contemporary Chinese Art: Selected Critical Writings and Conversations, 2007-2014 (Chinese Contemporary Art Series)

The book presents a range of articles and discussions that offer critical insights into the development of contemporary Chinese art, both within China and internationally. It brings together selected writings, both published and unpublished, by Paul Gladston, one of the foremost international scholars on contemporary Chinese art. The articles are based on extensive first-hand research, much of which was carried out during an extended residence in China between 2005 and 2010. In contrast to many other writers on contemporary Chinese art, Gladston analyses his subject with specific reference to the concerns of critical theory. In his writings he consistently argues for a ℓ́ℓpolylogicℓ́ℓ (multi-voiced) approach to research and analysis grounded in painstaking attention to local, regional and international conditions of artistic production, reception and display Preface to “Chinese Contemporary Art Series” 7 Acknowledgments 9 Contents 10 About the Author 13 Introduction 14 Part I Essays 18 1 Somewhere (and Nowhere) Between Modernity and Tradition 19 1.1 Towards a Critique of International and Indigenous Perspectives on the Significance of Contemporary Chinese Art 19 1.2 Tradition, Modernity and the Development of Modern Art in China 20 1.3 Contemporary Art in China 22 1.4 Indigenous Debates on the International Reception of Contemporary Chinese Art 25 1.5 The Political Recuperation of Contemporary Chinese Art 27 1.6 Towards a Multi-voiced Critique 29 1.7 Indigenous Chinese Art Theory 30 1.8 International Art Theory 31 1.9 Conclusion 31 2 International Curatorial Practice and the Problematic De-Territorialization of the `Identity' Show 32 2.1 Introduction 32 2.2 The Politics of Identity 33 2.3 The Politics of Identity and International Curatorial Practice 35 2.4 Deconstructing the Third Guangzhou Triennial, Farewell to Post-Colonialism 39 2.5 Beyond the Abstractions of Institutionalized Post-Colonialism 43 3 Qianwei (`Avant-Garde') Art in Reform-Era China 45 3.1 Introduction 45 3.2 Contemporary Chinese Art---Differing Discursive Perspectives 45 3.3 The Western(ized) Avant-Gardes and Post-avant-Gardes 48 3.4 Qianwei (/`Avant-Garde') Art in China 50 3.5 Qianwei Art and the Persistence of (Subjective) Realism 53 4 Deconstructing Gao Minglu 56 4.1 Critical Reflections on Contemporaneity and Associated Exceptionalist Readings of Contemporary Chinese Art 56 4.2 Contemporaneity 57 4.3 Gao Minglu---`Total Modernity in Chinese Contemporary Art' 59 4.4 Conclusion 65 5 Cultural Translation and Post hoc Intellectual Conceit 67 6 `Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao': A Stratagem Towards a Post-crisical Art 77 6.1 Part I 77 6.2 Critical Distance and the Avant-Gardes 78 6.3 Antagonistic Aesthetics and the Neo-Marxian Turn 80 6.4 Part II 82 7 The Double Way 90 8 Silence and Recuperation 93 9 The Cult of Ai 95 10 The (Continuing) Story of Ai 98 Part II Conversations 101 11 Inside the Yellow Box 102 12 Track Changes 112 13 Low Resolution 121 14 Answering the Question---`What is the Chinese Avant-Garde?' 127 15 Disjuncture---Tradition---Indirectness 130 16 Collaboration as Struggle and Non-cooperation 134 17 Time, Life and Nature 138 18 `Sound Can Be Seen and Form Can Be Heard' 143 Part III Writing for Exhibitions 150 19 Immersion 151 19.1 Song Ling's Early Development as an Artist in the People's Republic of China 151 19.2 Liberalization of Artistic Practice in the PRC After the Death of Mao 151 19.3 The '85 New Wave 152 19.4 Avant-Garde Art Groups in China 154 19.5 The Pond Association (Chi She) 156 20 Overlit Realm/Inner World 163 21 Objectless Desire 169 22 A Concise Series of Statements (that May or May Not Be) About the Work of the Artist Han Feng 174 23 The 14th Month (After the Great Flood) 177 24 A Short Essay About the Work of Wang Xin and Chen Yongwei 182 Bibliography 184 Index 188 Front Matter....Pages i-xx Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Somewhere (and Nowhere) Between Modernity and Tradition....Pages 3-15 International Curatorial Practice and the Problematic De-Territorialization of the ‘Identity’ Show....Pages 17-29 Deconstructing Gao Minglu....Pages 31-41 Cultural Translation and Post hoc Intellectual Conceit....Pages 43-53 ‘Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao’: A Stratagem Towards a Post-crisical Art....Pages 55-64 The Double Way....Pages 65-77 Silence and Recuperation....Pages 79-81 The Cult of Ai....Pages 83-84 The (Continuing) Story of Ai....Pages 85-87 Front Matter....Pages 89-91 Inside the Yellow Box....Pages 93-93 Track Changes....Pages 95-104 Low Resolution....Pages 105-113 Answering the Question—‘What is the Chinese Avant-Garde?’....Pages 115-120 Disjuncture—Tradition—Indirectness....Pages 121-123 Collaboration as Struggle and Non-cooperation....Pages 125-128 Time, Life and Nature....Pages 129-132 ‘Sound Can Be Seen and Form Can Be Heard’....Pages 133-137 Front Matter....Pages 139-145 Immersion....Pages 147-147 Overlit Realm/Inner World....Pages 149-160 Front Matter....Pages 161-166 Objectless Desire....Pages 147-147 A Concise Series of Statements (that May or May Not Be) About the Work of the Artist Han Feng....Pages 167-171 The 14th Month (After the Great Flood)....Pages 173-175 A Short Essay About the Work of Wang Xin and Chen Yongwei....Pages 177-181 Back Matter....Pages 183-184 ....Pages 185-195 The book presents a range of articles and discussions that offer critical insights into the development of contemporary Chinese art, both within China and internationally. It brings together selected writings, both published and unpublished, by Paul Gladston, one of the foremost international scholars on contemporary Chinese art. The articles are based on extensive first-hand research, much of which was carried out during an extended residence in China between 2005 and 2010. In contrast to many other writers on contemporary Chinese art, Gladston analyses his subject with specific reference to the concerns of critical theory. In his writings he consistently argues for a ĺlpolylogicĺl (multi-voiced) approach to research and analysis grounded in painstaking attention to local, regional and international conditions of artistic production, reception and display The book presents a range of articles and discussions that offer critical insights into the development of contemporary Chinese art, both within China and internationally. It brings together selected writings, both published and unpublished, by Paul Gladston, one of the foremost international scholars on contemporary Chinese art. The articles are based on extensive first-hand research, much of which was carried out during an extended residence in China between 2005 and 2010. In contrast to many other writers on contemporary Chinese art, Gladston analyses his subject with specific reference to the concerns of critical theory. In his writings he consistently argues for a zpolylogicy (multi-voiced) approach to research and analysis grounded in painstaking attention to local, regional and international conditions of artistic production, reception and display