Contemporary Chinese Art and Culture

4.0 credits

This course examines the vibrant history of art and culture in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan from the early twentieth century to the present. This class will begin with an introduction to modern Chinese history through an examination of early photography and painting. We will then ask: How does Chinese socialism negotiate with global capitalism? How do Chinese artists grapple with identity, trauma, and sexuality through installation, film, performance, and painting? This course is structured thematically to address the complexity of diverse cultural productions in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Our topics include the colonial gaze, avant- garde art, social realism, postmodernism, feminism, gender, globalization, and cultural diaspora. Applying these lenses to close read artwork and artists’ documents, we will explore how individual artists (e.g., Xu Bing, Rong Rong, Xing Danwen, and Cao Fei) and art collectives respond to social and political changes. To better understand popular culture and the Chinese diaspora, we will also discuss films directed by Zhang Meng, Wang Kai Wei, and Ang Lee. This course is taught through a combination of lectures and discussions. Students will become familiar with cultural movements in modern and contemporary Chinese Art. Moreover, students will think critically about contemporary Chinese art in dialogue with major concepts derived from Western art history. Please note: