Gender liberation and its offspring in China

To understand how women have introduced a paradigm shift in the art world, we certainly have to go through the work of at least thirty-four artists and their artworks beginning the late sixties of the last century:

Ana Mendieta
Carol Jerrems
Carolee Schneemann
Charlotte Moorman
Chitra Ganesh
Cindy Sherman
Diana Arbus
Eva Hesse
Francesca Woodman
Frida Kahlo
Georgia O’Keeffe
Gina Pane
Guerrilla Girls
Hanna Wilke
Helena Almeida
Janine Antoni
Lisa Elle
Lisa Yuskavage
Louise Bourgeois
Lydia Lunch
Lynda Benglis
Lynn Hershman Leeson
Maria Lassnig
Marina Abramović
Marlene Dumas
Mierle Laderman Ukeles
Nan Goldin
Nancy Graves
Natacha Merritt
Paula Rego
Tracey Emin
Valie Export
Yang Fudong
Yin Xiuzhen
Yoko Ono

A growing number of female painters, sculptors, performers, photo and filmmakers, but also writers, curators, art teachers, museum directors, and gallery owners, had made a difference in the arts for more than half-a-century challenging an ancient male territory. The presence of female artists in exhibitions, museums and art galleries has grown steadily in Europe and North America since the early seventies. A.I.R. Gallery, established in New York in 1972, is a perfect example of this turning point in the gender dynamics of art. This revolutionary trend slowly moved from West to East. To prove it, we should mention, among others, the following artists:

Anida Yoeu Ali
Arahmaiani
Bharti Kher
Cao Fei
Caryn Koh
Chiharu Shiota
Cui Xiuwen
Dayanita Singh
Hu Xiaoyuan
JeeYoung Lee
Joana Vasconcelos
Kimiko Yoshida
Lee Bul
Lin Tianmiao
Mariko Mori
Melati Suryodarmo
Mika Ninagawa
Piyarat Piyapongwiwat
Red Hong Yi
Shilpa Gupta
Tiffany Chung
Xin Danwen
Yang Fudong
Yayoi Kusama
Yin Xiuzhen

Since education became a massive trend around the world, globalisation took its pace and Internet expanded worldwide, white male predominance in the arts entered in extinction mode. This cultural change would inevitably induce all range of consequences in the definition of contemporary and post-contemporary art. The issue of identity is a major one, as it is the new technological normality, with its big data attraction mode, and its new divides and anxieties.

Chinese female artists born since 1980, namely those working with new media, not only keep deepening the identity questioning but also reinforcing the new gender trend towards autonomy, liberating themselves from male and patriarchal historical models of domination.

Chen Yiyun 陈义云
Cheuk Wing Nam 卓穎嵐
Hong Wai 洪慧
Hui Ye 葉慧
Jiayu Liu 刘佳玉
Lu Yang 陆扬
Ma Qiusha 马秋莎
Peng Yun 彭韞
Su Misu
Tianyi Zhang 張天譯 and Ling Liu 柳泠
Yuge Zhou 周雨歌

Since education became a massive trend around the world and globalisation took its pace, with Internet expanding worldwide, white male predominance in the arts entered in extinction mode. This cultural change would inevitably induce all range of consequences in the definition of contemporary and post-contemporary art. Identity is a critical issue, as is the new technological normality with its big data attraction mode, and its new divides and anxieties.

Chinese female artists born since 1980, namely those working with new media, not only keep deepening the identity questioning, as reinforcing the new gender trend towards liberation from male and patriarchal historical models of domination.

Not a piece of cake, though. Peng Yun five video artworks made in 2013-2014 prove it eloquently. We decided to highlight one of these films to prove our point: M 小姐和F先生的下午2點31分 / “Miss Melissa and Mr Fish at 2:31 p.m.” (2013).

Peng Yun tends to see fictional characters in females she meet in her daily life. From this imagination procedure upon real people, she develops derivative narratives around identity and autonomy issues and their outcomes. These five short videos seem to replay five dreams about costs of life change and autonomy. Redefining the new liberated role-play of women in a society still full of male phantasies can hurt, and be mind-boggling. There is a pain in all liberation processes. And no way back.

LINKS (for preview only)

1 – 婕語的成人禮 / “Jieyu’s debutante” (2013)
2 – 甜蜜的生活 / “The Sweet Life” (2013)
3 – 李小姐有柔軟的手指和美麗的眼睛 / “Miss Lee has soft fingers and beautiful eyes” (2013)
4 – M 小姐和F先生的下午2點31分 / “Miss Melissa and Mr. Fish at 2:31 p.m.” (2013)
5 – “Sara” (2014)

Antonio C-Pinto