The Human Dramatics of Urbanization. Chinese urbanization in the art of Wang Bing, Xing Danwen and Zhang Dali.

Abstract

During recent decades, China has experienced a fast rate of urbanization. Generated by capitalism, globalism, consumerism and economic market reforms, China has undergone many changes. Urban areas have expanded increasingly since the 1990s, affecting and transforming China’s environment, society, visual characteristics and traditions. This dissertation presents a research on the effects of urbanization on the Chinese population through an analysis of artworks by Wang Bing (1967), Zhang Dali (1963) and Xing Danwen (1967). It offers an analysis on a selection of their artworks, their artistic practice and their social engagement in the context of contemporary China. This research adopts an interdisciplinary approach which includes art history, urban China studies and urban cultural studies. The research is largely based on the analyses of existing literature, analyses of the artworks and the analyses of their context. This thesis will focus on two main key concepts, namely, urbanization and urban planning. Within this research, the effects of China’s urbanization have been reduced to three main societal issues which occur on a national level within society. These issues are: the transformation of living environments, the increasing number of migrant labourers and the isolation of people living in urban structures, who experience feelings of isolation and become detached from traditional Chinese society. These transformations are driven by urban planning, economic development and material consumption. These processes heavily influence the daily life of Chinese people. Wang Bing, Zhang Dali and Xing Danwen’s artistic practices focus on the above presented societal issues. In their own ways, they offer criticism on urbanization in a society in which state censorship is still prevailing. Wang Bing’s documentaries show the daily life of people who live on the fringes of society, within the age of urbanization. Zhang Dali’s 'Dialogue and Demolition' (1995-2005) series comments on the urban transformation of Beijing. The plaster bodies in his 'Chinese Offspring' (2003-2005) represent the rural migrant workers, who are a neglected minority within Chinese society. Finally, Xing Danwen’s 'Urban Fiction' (2004-2009) responds to the position of people within urban structures and how this might influence their behaviour and psyche. By adding human drama within her real estate photographs, she questions the proposed idealistic urban future as intended by the government and real estate developers. Their works indicate the artists’ concern about the people who are affected by the processes of urbanization. Through their approaches and personal styles, their artworks investigate the socio-political and economic situation. The analysed artworks embody the artists’ criticism of the specific spatial and social conditions of contemporary China