“Shifting Identity: Creative Revolution in China”
will examine contemporary Chinese artists’ responses to China’s rapid
transformation into a global economic power.
Many Chinese artists have confronted this issue with skepticism and
cynicism. Other artists have embraced
the changes, all the while struggling to maintain the “Chinese identity” and
not succumb to finicky styles and trends of the global art world.
How are these once insulated contemporary Chinese artists coping
with the current economical, social, cultural and intellectual climate of
China?
Is there an instilled sense of skepticism (fear) over China’s
socio-economic revolution, which is manifested in contemporary Chinese art?
The students will take a multi-faceted and
multi-disciplinary approach in examining these questions. There will be components of historical,
cultural and artistic research, as well as, critical reflections of student’s
own experiences in China.
The students will realize that, despite
geographical distances and cultural differences, all artists share similar aspirations
to understand the world around them. As
a result of this experience, students will be better able to contextualize and
navigate their own studio practices in relation to contemporary social,
cultural, or intellectual currents.
