Socially Engaged Art in Contemporary China: Voices from Below

Cover
Half Title
Series
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Voices from Below: The Potential of Art Activism
	Socially Engaged Art as A Concept and Practice
	The Social and Public Turn of Contemporary Chinese Art
	Ai Weiwei and Art-Political Activism
	Citizen Intellectuals and Art for Civic Participation
Part I Art and Social Criticism
	Overview
	1 Art Criticism, Exhibition, and Citizen Politics: Wang Nanming and the Theory of Critical Art
		Poisonous Food, Public Mistrust, and the “Reassurance” Campaign
		Social Criticism and the Theory of Critical Art
		Contemporary Art as Public Opinion and Artists as Public Intellectuals
		“Chinese Symbols” Art versus “Chinese Problem Situation” Art
		The Case of He Chengyao
		The Case of Qu Yan
		Exhibition As a Strategy for Social Engagement
		Critical Art and Citizen Politics
	2 Waste, Pollution, and Environmental Activism: Wang Jiuliang and the Power of Documenting
		Problematizing Urban Waste Production
		Waste and Contemporary Chinese Art
		Beijing Besieged by Waste
		The Dark Reality of Plastic Waste Recycling
		Pollution, Inequality, and the Trap of Consumerism
		Censorship of Civic Activism
		The Possibility of Public Mobilization and Change
Part II Art and Place Construction
	Overview
	3 Art, Urban Renewal, and Grassroots Community Building: Zheng Dazhen and Lifestyle Activism
		Cultural Heritage and Historic Downtown Conservation
		Old City and New Industries
		The Good Life Creation Society and Slowness as a Choice
		Infrastructure for Grassroots Community Building
		Art, “Artification,” and Urban Development in Quanzhou
		Cultural Entrepreneur, the Maker of Lifestyle, and Informal Life Politics
	4 Rural Reconstruction through Art: Zuo Jing and Place-Making for the People
		Rural Crisis and the New Rural Reconstruction Movement
		Rural Reconstruction through Art
		Zuo Jing and the Bishan Project
		The Bishan Project Dispute and Its Closure
		The Maogong Project and an Alternative to Rural Reconstruction
		Culture Tourism and the Jingmai Mountain Project
		Place-Making for the People
Part III Art and Personal Development
	Overview
	5 From Representation to Collaboration: Wen Fang and Her Participatory Art
		The Creators of “Heaven” and Wen’s Collaborative Approach
		Cement Bricks and Migrant Workers
		From Representation to Direct Engagement
		Collaboration for Poverty Alleviation and Beyond
		Charity Reinterpreted and Reactivated
		Small-Scale Individual Work and the Global Public Sphere
	6 Art Education for Children: Hu Jianqiang, Wang Jun, and the Nurture Effect
		Education Inequality in Rural China and the Rise of Volunteerism
		Hu Jianqiang and Kindergarten for the Marginalized
		Community-Based and Socially Engaged Art Education
		Wang Jun and the Founding of Mentors Academy
		Creative Activities and Informal Learning for Personal Growth
		Nurture Effect, Art Education, and Activism in the Making
Conclusion: Art and the Right to Bottom-Up Social Changes
Bibliography
Index