Theater of the World: Contemporary Art of China Since 1989

This thesis considers the development of contemporary Chinese art and its evolving relationship with the global art scene since 1989. Ever since Chinese art was released under the tight grip of the party-state after the Cultural Revolution, it faces influences and challenges from Western aesthetic theories and importing styles. A theoretical debate regarding the proper perspective to interpret Chinese art emerged in the late 1990s as Chinese and Western scholars argued for and against an essentialist view, although both side came into the debate with hidden agendas (deeply rooted belief in a western-centric hegemony v.s. a teleological national allegory for the party-state). In 2017, an exhibition concerning contemporary Chinese art from 1989 to 2008 held at Guggenheim Museum in New York City, Theater of the World, signaled a successful attempt in constructing alternative perspectives of pluralism and to break through the polarized debate.

    Item Description
    Name(s)
    Date
    April 15, 2018
    Extent
    144 pages
    Language
    eng
    Genre
    Physical Form
    electronic
    Rights and Use
    In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted
    Restrictions on Use
    Access restricted indefinitely. Please contact wesscholar@wesleyan.edu for more information.
    Digital Collection
    PID
    ir:2009