China Institute

Artivism in Taiwan

Friday, October 22, 2021 - 2:00pm

Location:
Online via Zoom
Cost:
Free

In this talk, Dr. Wang shares her observations conducting field research in Taiwan as a Fulbright scholar, centering on a recent public event pulled off by progressive intellectuals and grassroots social organizations in the island as a critical response to Taiwan government’s heightened censorship and political control over its citizens since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mass Burial

 

Named Mass Burial: Culture in Action, it gathers leading professionals in art, architecture, theater, film, and other cultural domains, for a successive 10-day public performative event remembering lives lost in the pandemic and engaging the public for conversations about Taiwan's deteriorated political and cultural environments in a society long applauded for its liberal and democratic system. It is also an unprecedentedly ambitious endeavor bringing art and activism together in which some of the most critically-minded Taiwan artists, cultural activists, and veteran social activists collaborated to advance a civil discourse that seeks to open up free spaces where marginalized voices can be heard, justice can be pursued, social and political problems can be discussed, and critical reflections on Taiwan’s journey towards liberty and democracy can be made.

A Short Bio: Dr. Meiqin Wang is a professor of art history at California State University Northridge. Her research focuses on contemporary art from China in the context of commercialization and urbanization of the Chinese world. She has written on topics such as art and cultural industries, art and urbanization, and socially engaged art. She has published numerous articles and three books: Socially Engaged Art in Contemporary China (2019), Visual Arts, Representations and Interventions in Contemporary China (edited, 2018) and Urbanization and Contemporary Chinese Art (2016).

 

Zoom Recording on YouTube: