Image and identity: 20th century Chinese art and cinema
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
This course has now finished
Course Code: VB517
Duration: 5 sessions (over 6 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Center for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
This five-week course will introduce significant moments in modern Chinese history, from the New Culture Movement of the 1910s which criticised traditional systems as China’s downfall, to the ‘Root Searching’ movement of the 1980s that sought to reconstruct a Chinese identity rooted in the past. Each week, we will study a combination of art, cinema, and visual culture through the lens of social history and critical theory, to consider how artists and filmmakers tried to delineate definitions of a ‘New China’ in their work. From modern to contemporary, case studies will include cinema from the Shanghai ‘Golden Age’, model operas from the Cultural Revolution, artworks from the ‘China/Avant-Garde’ exhibition, and the films of Fifth-Generation Directors such as Zhang Yimou.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
• A range of case studies every week situated in the context of a socio-political movement
• The place of traditional culture in China’s modernisation process and the construction of the nation-state
• The convoluted affair between art and politics in 20th Century China.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
· Be aware of key works of Chinese art and cinema between the decades of 1910s to 1990s
· Identify some of the social, political and cultural issues that captured the imagination of Chinese artists and filmmakers during each era
· Discuss the shifting position of traditional culture in modern Chinese history through visual cultural productions and critical theory.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, handouts and health and safety information and an understanding of how to operate basics of Zoom microphone and camera.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught with lecture, slide presentations and will be invited to participate in class discussion. There will be a Google Classroom for the sharing of documents related to the course. There will be light homework such as excerpts of readings and films to watch in advance. You will be sent an invitation to the Google Classroom within a week of the course start date.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You might wish to have something to write with. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list given out in class.
Meitao Qu lives and works between London and Beijing. Graduating from Goldsmiths College with a degree in Fine Art and Art History, she received an MA from the Courtauld, specialising in Contemporary Chinese Art and Geopolitics. From Shanghai Golden Age cinema to memes on the Chinese internet, Meitao’s research interests span across 20th and 21st century visual culture in China. She works at Art History Link-Up, a charity dedicated to diversifying access to arts education by making art history inclusive to all. She also holds an MFA from Ruskin School of Art and maintains an art practice alongside teaching.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.