In the reading, Reversed Images: Representations of Shanghai and Its Contemporary Material Culture, the transformation of the city of Shanghai is documented by several artists using various mediums. Shanghai has become one of the most productive cities in the global economy. It has defined itself in the technological and commercial world. These transformations have varying affects on Shanghai’s physical environment and cultural history, and are explored through art in Reversed Images using different themes. Shi Guorui’s Shanghai, documents the city’s romantic past and its shift to modernization. Expansion, modernization, and contemporary functionalism are explored in Xu Xixian’s photographs of Shanghai’s landscapes during the 1970’s and 80’s. His son, Xu Jianrong revisited the very same landscapes 20 years after his father had photographed them, just as Ed Ruscha did with his photographs of every building of the Sunset Strip. Xu Jianrong’s photographs showed how the locations and surrounding environment had changed. His sociological approach was an expression of the progression of the city.
A Changing Shanghai, Xu Xixian and Xu Jianrong
Olivo Barbieri spoke at Ferguson Hall in 2009. Shooting from a helicopter using a tilt-shift lens, his aerial photographs documented urban environments. He talked about how using a tilt-shift lens allowed him to decide what he wanted to focus on. His images made cityscapes look like toy models. Shanghai’s highways at night expose modernization in conjunction of contemporary functionalism.
Olivo Barbieri, Shanghai Highway.
Isidro Blasco created sculptures encouraging participants to interact with them. These sculptures mimic aesthetics found in the city.
Isidro Blasco, In Shanghai at Last.
Zhu Feng focused on makeshift sculptures found on worksites. Zhou Xiaohu’s photographs show buildings in the process of being torn down surrounded by contemporary buildings. This reminded me of the photos of the Tompkins Square photos from last week. Su Chang used mixed media to create replicas of old buildings that had been torn down to create new neighborhoods. Jin Shan’s Build a home for your self, building for Shanghai, was an interactive art piece that spoke to the building rush in the city. This piece allowed a person to build his or her ideal home, giving voice to the voiceless. Birdhead was a photographic series documenting the demolition of a neighborhood for the 2010 Expo site. All of these works touch upon the reality of Shanghai (the present) and what has disappeared (the past).
Liu Gang’s Paper Dream series commented on social status and focused on real-estate advertisements.
Liu Gang, Paper Dream No14.
Speedism collaborated the information of several artists.
Cao Fei’s Second Life explored the potential of an online art community.
The role of an artist in a changing environment is explored in Yang Fudong’s The First Intellectual. The multimedia installation touched upon the evolution of contemporary art in a shifting capitalist economy.
Yang Fudong, The First Intellectual.
Individualism and social structures are represented in Ma Liang’s photographs of young, urban Chinese. Lu Yuanming photographed urbanites who despite economic change, continue to live their lives as they always had. Hu Yang’s Shanghai Living documented the living spaces of families from a sociological perspective recording the changes following modernization.
Hu Yang, Shanghai Living.
Yang Fudong’s Honey, explored the emerging middle class. These photographs look at how the traditional values in China have been affected by modernization.
Yang Fudong, Honey.
Zhang Qing’s work created a discourse on freedom using the extremely small apartments in Shanghai.
The film screenings for Nostalgia, and Shanghai Waiting for Paradise, touched upon the urbanization of Shanghai. These films document the traditional housing structures that disappeared from Shanghai’s old neighborhoods.
The artists in this exhibition explored the affects of urbanization and the metaphoric possibilities of globalization.
In the reading, Urban Destruction and Construction, Huang Yan made rubbings from buildings that were about to be destroyed. He made rubbings before, during, and after demolition. His work spanned ten years and the process of making the rubbings was documented using photography, film, audio and video recordings. These rubbings made me think of the last building standing at Cabrini Green. The art project is in collaboration with kids who attended the Cabrini Green workshops. It was surreal to see lights reflecting voices in an abandoned building. These lights gave voice to the voiceless and brought a bit of life back to the discarded building.
Project Cabrini Green, 1230 N. Burling.
Zhan Wang had a salvage scheme for the commercial area in Wangfujing Street where buildings were going to be demolished. Buildings were being demolished for capital and commercial modernization. He felt he was saving half-torn-down buildings by painting a joist red, painting doorframe white, cleaning decorative tiles, and decorating a wall with coating material. The same day, the rest of the building was destroyed. His salvage attempt was temporal.
Zhang Wang, Ruien Cleaning Project.
Wang also created artificial mountains made from stainless-steel plates. He created a copy of the original traditional “artificial rockery” (jiashanshi) mirroring the changing environment.
Zhan Wang, Artificial Rock No. 120.
Chen Shaoxiong photographed the streets of Guangzhou following the Western traditions of painting. By creating a photographic collage, 3D card figures reconstructed street scenes. Urban streets are not static. They are constantly changing at a rapid pace. The street becomes a part of a person’s temporal daily experience.
The Tiananmen Square protests were non-violent and led by students as a movement for political liberation and economic reform. The Tiananmen Square Massacre occurred in the center of Peking. The BBC News clip showed army trucks firing indiscriminately. People stood in shock witnessing as their own army fired at them. The army launched into an unarmed group of students. The people on the streets yelled, “Fascists! “Stop killing! “Down with the government!” Ambulances that tried to enter the square were turned away and even shot at. There were causalities every few seconds. People were shot just sitting in their homes.
The Tiananmen Square Mini Documentary by Anthony Thomas showed the man who is now known as “tank man.” Tiananmen Square is the largest public space in the world. The space exemplifies the insignificance of individual with regards to the government. The peoples Liberation Army converged on the Square on June 4th, 1989. The following day at noon, the tanks “danced” through the streets. A man stopped the procession by standing before the tanks. The front tank tried to move around him but the man continued to block it. Eventually, the tank’s engine was turned off and the rest of the tanks turned off their engines in sequence. Thomas felt that it was his responsibility to record what was happening as accurately as possible. He documented the event.
In March, 2011, China has surpassed the United States as the leading manufacturer. Dateline’s China’s Ghost Cities and Malls, explores the new district of Zheng Zhou in China. The government keeps building on the landscape to maintain economic growth. These new buildings remain vacant yet building continues. The South China Mall was supposed to be the world’s largest mall. Today, it is as empty as it was six years ago. The government grossly overestimated the consumer culture leaving the mall vastly empty. Government obsession with big building structures has left this district vacant. 70% of new units are unoccupied leaving 64 million empty apartments. Over supply promotes economic growth, which is the government’s first priority. The Chinese government dictates where resources are being spent. Buildings are being created when there is no demand and these units cost between $70-$100,000. The annual workers wages are only $6,000. So the people living there cant afford to live in the new housing developments. The occupancy rate is only 25% leaving empty apartments and condos. One resident living in a rented space commented on how he knew that some day his home would be demolished for new infrastructure. From his home, he can see the condos in the distance, which is only a reminder of not being able to afford a home. Where he lives has a communal toilet and sink. There isn’t any room for children and as a result, he only sees his child once a year. He wants to buy a home but he said, “The market pushes prices too high. The government needs to intervene.” It is expressed that the government does not support its people.
Professor Zhou Xioa Sheng spoke about polarization. He said that if China became polarized, it would be an example that reform has failed. He felt that polarization will cause conflict in society and poor people may come out and start a revolution. This is just another example of what could cause a riot or a revolution.
A Dateline journalist looked at a duplex that cost $300,000. Out the window of the duplex, an old neighborhood had been marked to be demolished. In order to buy a unit, a potential owner would have to pay 50% up front and the remaining balance over the next three years. The units are only affordable to high-income people. A month after the first tenants moved in, “for rent” signs went up in several windows. This district is an example of how the financial controls of the Chinese government have impoverished people. Historically, when their own governments impoverish people, social unrest follows.
No comments:
Post a Comment