Contested traditions: contemporary Chinese fiber art and Gu Wenda’s Wisdom Comes from Tranquility (1986)

Abstract

This study examines Gu Wenda’s mixed-media installation, Wisdom Comes from Tranquility (1986), as part of the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and the ‘culture fever’ of the 1980s; in this timeframe and Chinese art-historical framework the artwork exemplifies how seemingly innocuous traditions can, in fact, be politically charged. In Wisdom Comes from Tranquility, a pioneering Chinese installation that combined ink art and fiber art, Gu used his insider’s perspective to appropriate literati art and challenge its historicized value. Considering Gu’s art offers a broader perspective of the contemporary art field in 1980s China, which needs to include fiber art, especially in relation to the under-recognized Bulgarian artist and educator, Maryn Varbanov (1932–1989).