Artists Test Limits as China Lets (a Few) Flowers Bloom

The Wall Street Journal looks at the state of contemporary visual art in China, which enjoys relative freedom compared to other cultural mediums:

First forced to glorify the state, artists across genres were once ostracized. More recently, their work has emerged as one of the few bright lights in China’s otherwise staid cultural scene. The National Day celebrations are highlighting China’s artistic successes — its sparkling new concert houses and theaters, cinemas and prolific publishing houses.

Even now, though, few artists actually produce works that reflect the issues of the day or can compete on the international stage. And most are still limited by censorship. Every movie studio, theater, music house, publisher and publication in China is either directly owned by the state or subject to state guidelines.

Contemporary art — paintings, installations and other works produced in the present day — is a bright exception. The sector has thrived in part because it almost by definition reaches only an elite few. Yet its success is also due to the persistence of a handful of artists — and to the party’s willingness to let at least some flowers bloom.

The article also includes an interactive timeline of art in China.

CDT EBOOKS

Subscribe to CDT

SUPPORT CDT

Browsers Unbounded by Lantern

Now, you can combat internet censorship in a new way: by toggling the switch below while browsing China Digital Times, you can provide a secure "bridge" for people who want to freely access information. This open-source project is powered by Lantern, know more about this project.

Google Ads 1

Giving Assistant

Google Ads 2

Anti-censorship Tools

Life Without Walls

Click on the image to download Firefly for circumvention

Open popup
X

Welcome back!

CDT is a non-profit media site, and we need your support. Your contribution will help us provide more translations, breaking news, and other content you love.