CHINA'S REPRESENTATION AT THE VENICE BIENNALE THROUGH THE PRISM OF CAI GUO-QIANG'S ARTISTIC STRATEGY

Abstract

The authors of this publication analyze China's participation in the Venice Biennale based on the work of Cai Guo-Qiang. He is a key figure in contemporary Chinese art. The authors introduce art projects that have not previously been considered by Ukrainian researchers into domestic scientific discourse. First and foremost, they analyze Cai Guo-Qiang's participation in the 46th Venice Biennale (1995) with the project “Bringing to Venice What Marco Polo Forgot.” In this project, the artist raises the issue of Chinese cultural heritage and historical cultural exchange between East and West through a system of symbols and signs. The next object of study was the 48th Venice Biennale (1999). This biennale was of particular importance to the artist, as he won the prestigious Golden Lion award. Harald Szeemann, curator of this biennale, emphasized pluralism and dialogue, thanks to which Asian artists, in particular Cai Guo-Qiang, were able to demonstrate a wide range of contemporary practices responding to the global and sociocultural changes of the late 20th century. The authors applied contextual, historical-cultural, and interpretative approaches that provide a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the artistic practices under study. In the context of analysing art projects, the authors draw on a body of foreign sources that has been little studied in Ukraine, which allows for a deeper understanding of contemporary Chinese art and its global interactions. First and foremost, these are publications by Zhu Qi, a Chinese researcher and art critic known primarily for his work on contemporary Chinese art and intercultural conflicts in the global art space. In addition, the study examines the research of Vivian Lee, a PhD, art historian and curator specialising in contemporary Asian art, as well as other foreign authors.