Rethink Authenticity: From Stagnation of “Traditional Art” Creation in the 21st Century China

• In Event: 41020 - Section on Political Economy of the World-System Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 4: Climate and Culture

Abstract

What can be the cause of the lack of appreciation for contemporary Chinese Art in recent years? Art historians have attempted to decode the mystical stagnation in the past decades by arguing that the Cultural Revolution (1966 – 1976) and the socialist realism promoted during the late Mao Era destroyed the creative culture. Political scientists may say that the heavily regulated media and cultural industry can explain the issue. While these arguments were convincing and intriguing, this paper aims to use the concept of authenticity to explore more possible answers to the dilemma, suggesting that criteria for authenticity are not always static and that they will be developed over time.

Author

• Zian He, University of California-San Diego