Chinese artists and contemporary art under the influence of Tiananmen Square event of June, 1989

Abstract

In the year of 1989, the appalling Tiananmen Square Event happened in China, becoming a large topic of social and political research. This period became the most transformative, changing modern Chinese society, and thus Chinese art. This watershed event not only changed the social ideology of China, but also had a big influence to Chinese contemporary art history. Especially in the same year, before the event, China/Avant-garde exhibition supported by the government was held. From studying this theme, the main purpose of the thesis is to explore the relations between individuals and history, art and politics, and people’s own identity. The paper’s objective is to alleviate some misunderstandings and misinterpretations of Chinese contemporary artists and artworks. To achieve the purpose, this article will discuss the backgrounds for contemporary Chinese art: Chinese history, Chinese art history, and Chinese cultural context, along with several political events. After which, details of the interviews of four art-related workers who directly or indirectly participated in the Tiananmen Square Event, bringing a unique insight whether politics largely influences their artworks consciously or potentially. In brief, after the Tiananmen Square Event of June 1989, the art environment in China changed enormously. Consequently, the year of 1989 is of significance to study the history of contemporary Chinese art.%%%%M.S., Arts Administration – Drexel University, 2017