Economics and contemporary Chinese art
Zhang Xiaogang is exactly this kind of artist whose art is filled with sarcastic messages that only sinologist could decipher and whose fame was generated from the economic boom. He is well known for his ‘Bloodline’ series which, as the image above, is often monochromatic, stylized portraits of stiffly posed Chinese people. Westerns would hardly understand further beyond this point, but the image is actually reminiscent of Chinese family portraits from the 1950s and 1960s. In an interview, Zhang Xiaogang explained, ‘On the surface the faces in these portraits appear as calm as still water, but underneath there is great emotional turbulence. Within this state of conflict the propagation of obscure and ambiguous destinies is carried on from generation to generation.’ 95 Experience of the Cultural Revolution is certainly required to interpret the visual language of Zhang Xiaogang’s paintings. Conversely, there are also negative effects caused by Chinese economy that should not be ignored. As mentioned before in Zeng Fanzhi’s art, the seemingly great economic utopia is actually built up by many worrying aspects. For example, while Chinese tourists squander thousands and thousands of pounds all around the world, at least 50 per cent of people are still starving in China. The gap between the rich and the poor is beyond repair – Chinese tycoons dominate the World Rich List, but ‘millions of provincial farmers live on annual incomes of under $1000.’ 96 This situation definitely agitated many passionate artists, but at the same time provided them a subject for their art that will provoke resonance from Chinese citizens. Therefore, the negative becomes positive, Chinese contemporary art is given the opportunity to boost its artistic value Zhang Huan is well known for his eccentric performance art. After attaining his MA at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, he began his work as a part of the Beijing East Village artistic community. His work often embodies his challenge to an oppressive political regime in China. The performance image above is called ‘To Raise the Water Level in a Fishpond’. Zhang Huan invited about forty migrant workers who came to Beijing from other parts of China. They were construction workers, fishermen and labourers, all from the bottom of the society. Initially, they stood in a line in the middle to separate the pond into two parts. Then they all walked freely like fishes, until the point of the performance arrived, which was to raise the water level, then they stood still. In the Chinese tradition, fish is the symbol of sex while water is the source of life. 97 This work expresses the insignificance of the mass; although water level is raised in the pond, this action is all in vein as the bottom of the society seems invisible.
95 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Xiaogang 96 ‘New China New Art’ by Richard Vine: 10 97 http://www.zhanghuan.com/ShowWorkContent.asp?id=39&iParentID=21&mid=1
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