Radical Representations in Contemporary Chinese Art
Mostafa Malek
Father | Graphic Designer | Adobe Certified Professional | Creative Director | Producer
???? To answer the question and examine the representation of the past in the compositions and works of contemporary Chinese artists, especially in comparison with previous periods, the evolving nature of the art of this country should be examined. From the beginning, Chinese art has been a means of reflecting and interpreting social norms, values, and different ideologies. Art forms such as painting, ceramics, calligraphy, etc., have often depicted mythological stories, religious beliefs, and historical events. Contemporary Chinese artists have adopted a radical approach to the representation of history. They use innovative techniques and different layouts to challenge narratives and engage with political and social issues.(fig. 1)
???? Artists such as Ai Weiwei created their installations to confront historical injustices and traumas. Ai Weiwei is one of the most influential and controversial Chinese artists in contemporary history, and he became famous worldwide in 2009 for his art project. It was created to thank and commemorate more than 80,000 Chinese who died in the Sichuan earthquake, and most of them were students. With this work, he seriously questioned the ruling regime of China. This installation, called "Remembering," consists of thousands of children's backpacks. With this, he conveys a profound message, subverting all traditional ways of representation and forcing viewers to think critically about the past.?(fig. 2)
???? Another example of these works is Xu Bing's "Book of the Sky." It is a set of four books that contain 4,000 invented undecipherable characters, raising fundamental questions about Chinese identity and its relationship to the written word. The artist who created this work believes that "writing is the essence of culture." This artist, who studied printmaking at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, gained international fame by creating this work. In fact, by creating a vast library of unreadable Chinese characters, Xu Bing challenges all traditional concepts of language and communication, and by questioning the authority of written language and historical knowledge, forces the viewer to rethink their past. (fig. 3)
?? Contemporary approaches to representing history in China are significantly different from previous periods. While traditional works have subjugated fixed conventions and supported dominant ideologies, new media works and installations by contemporary artists have prioritized critical research, experimentation, and innovation in their creation.?
Contemporary Chinese artists have broken all the traditional forms and challenged the complexities of history with their own unconventional methods, thus choosing new ways to express their artistic goals. They invite the audience to re-evaluate their perception of the past. (fig. 4)
???? As a result, the completely radical approach to the representation of the past in the arrangement and works of contemporary China has shown a great difference and a significant deviation. Contemporary artists such as Xu Bing and Ai Weiwei, with their innovative techniques and their critical interactions with the historical narratives of this country, have disturbed all the traditional ways of representation. They presented different and alternative views about the history of their country. In a country that has undergone many cultural and social transformations over the years, these artists play a pivotal role in shaping public and effective discourses, challenging the established powers and norms.
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Work Cited
-?????? https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/feb/15/ai-weiwei-remembering-sichuan-earthquake
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