The ambiguity of “politics” within art and activism in China

Chen Haiyin

doi:10.32237/arcs.5.0_97

This article examines the art and social practices by Beijing-based unofficial avant-garde artists group, called “XingXing (The Stars)” in post-Mao period. Under the sociopolitical situation that reflects Maoʼs cultural revolution policy, which invigorated public discussions around “Democracy Wall”, “The Stars” organized a nonofficial exhibition that at last broke the stranglehold of Communist Party orthodoxy and set the stage for the future freedom of artistic expression in China. Here, we based on Guy Debordʼs critics on the spectacle-ness of the modernism society, and the discussion of Michel De Certeau which reveals the creativity of consumers and those exploited people, then we aim to find out the strategies and responses that “The Stars” took in order to achieve freedom and civil solidarity for Chinese modern artists and also for whole country. In the painting and sculpturing process, they imitated and interpreted western modernism and post-modernism way of paintings into Chinese form. And in the exhibiting process, they appropriated the slogan and argument of Maoʼs legacy into an underhanded way to protest against the city government, which is that “the Stars” responded by organizing a protest march in the name of individual human rights. At last, by looking at their interview talked to an art magazine in 1980, we provide detailed analysis on how they justify themselves as an artist. During this process, we find that they emphasize the practice of self-expression, which enable identity as a pure individual without any role for socialism politics, and claim that private-self should be completely unique beyond any social class division even in socialism community.

The ambiguity of “politics” within art and activism in China

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