Comments on: Painters & Dreamers: Photos From Song Zhuang http://hyperallergic.com/3619/song-zhuang/ Sensitive to Art and its Discontents Tue, 22 May 2012 05:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kyle Chaykahttp://hyperallergic.com/3619/song-zhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-774 Kyle Chayka Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:58:45 +0000 http://hyperallergic.com/?p=3619#comment-774 @Hrag Not allowing art to function as a kind of PR facade is certainly a huge concern and I think the biggest problem facing the art world in China is how to allow it to speak freely. Chinese literati and artistic culture has a long history of political critique and debate and though it might not seem like it exists as much today with the advent of superficially 'political', pandering work, that culture is certainly still around in places like Song Zhuang. On the whole, the institutions that have the most credibility, respect, and power in the Chinese art world are the ones that evade government interference rather than mediate it. The Long March Space, for example, certainly backs that up. @Hrag Not allowing art to function as a kind of PR facade is certainly a huge concern and I think the biggest problem facing the art world in China is how to allow it to speak freely. Chinese literati and artistic culture has a long history of political critique and debate and though it might not seem like it exists as much today with the advent of superficially ‘political’, pandering work, that culture is certainly still around in places like Song Zhuang.

On the whole, the institutions that have the most credibility, respect, and power in the Chinese art world are the ones that evade government interference rather than mediate it. The Long March Space, for example, certainly backs that up.

]]> By: Hrag Vartanianhttp://hyperallergic.com/3619/song-zhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-749 Hrag Vartanian Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:49:58 +0000 http://hyperallergic.com/?p=3619#comment-749 For someone like myself who is committed to democracy, I think the bigger question is that if the artists are contributing their voices to democratize China or if they are contributing to the creation of a facade on the autocratic regime that functions as a form of PR to the rest of the world. For someone like myself who is committed to democracy, I think the bigger question is that if the artists are contributing their voices to democratize China or if they are contributing to the creation of a facade on the autocratic regime that functions as a form of PR to the rest of the world.

]]> By: Kyle Chaykahttp://hyperallergic.com/3619/song-zhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-748 Kyle Chayka Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:21:43 +0000 http://hyperallergic.com/?p=3619#comment-748 Hey Daniel, Personally what I see as the biggest misconception about the Chinese contemporary art world (and China is general) is that it's monolithic. Even though that's all you see in the Christie's catalogues, not all Chinese painters are referencing Mao and the cultural revolution. There are brilliant sculptors, cool photographers and multi-media artists that manage to be interesting despite their lack of giant smiling communists. The Beijing art world is a lot like New York- there are tons of younger artists waiting to move up the ranks, artists finding work in the commercial sector, and famous 23 year olds that just got their first gallery show. It's not a government-overseen 'cultural production sector' or something like that, it's pretty organic, and the spirit of the avant garde is certainly there. Hey Daniel,

Personally what I see as the biggest misconception about the Chinese contemporary art world (and China is general) is that it’s monolithic. Even though that’s all you see in the Christie’s catalogues, not all Chinese painters are referencing Mao and the cultural revolution. There are brilliant sculptors, cool photographers and multi-media artists that manage to be interesting despite their lack of giant smiling communists.

The Beijing art world is a lot like New York- there are tons of younger artists waiting to move up the ranks, artists finding work in the commercial sector, and famous 23 year olds that just got their first gallery show. It’s not a government-overseen ‘cultural production sector’ or something like that, it’s pretty organic, and the spirit of the avant garde is certainly there.

]]> By: Daniel Larkinhttp://hyperallergic.com/3619/song-zhuang/comment-page-1/#comment-742 Daniel Larkin Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:11:35 +0000 http://hyperallergic.com/?p=3619#comment-742 Kyle, you have painted such a vivid picture of the Song Zhuang. So much of the talk about art in china gets cluttered with vague abstractions and clunky concepts. I like how you steered clear of these pitfalls and went straight to the heart - they way people live and work in another place. If you have time to respond this this question than I am thrilled, what do you think is the biggest misconception that outsiders have about art in china(s) - i realize that there is more than one context in such a vast place. Kyle, you have painted such a vivid picture of the Song Zhuang. So much of the talk about art in china gets cluttered with vague abstractions and clunky concepts. I like how you steered clear of these pitfalls and went straight to the heart – they way people live and work in another place.

If you have time to respond this this question than I am thrilled, what do you think is the biggest misconception that outsiders have about art in china(s) – i realize that there is more than one context in such a vast place.

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