Frankenstein’s monster as translation : Articulations of artistic creativity, individuality and freedom of expression

• This article presents an interpretation of conceptual artist Qiu Zhen’s photographic work Me and My Bride: Satan’s Wedding No. 5 (2008) within the theoretical framework of Homi K. Bhabha’s Third Space. Because of its hybrid status and the work’s subtle likeness to certain visual elements related with the story of Frankenstein the interpretation is closely connected to that narrative. More specifically, the article uses this particular literary-photographical and cross-cultural panorama to explore artistic creativity, individuality and freedom of expression as articulated in this conceptual and postmodern work that was produced in the wake of preparing for the 2008 Olympic Games. The article further explores how something foreign like Frankenstein may engage with ‘Chineseness’ and how ‘Chineseness’ may be emphasized through the usage of something foreign. Thus this article approaches the concept of ‘Chineseness’ as a wearer of a foreign coat, negotiating the hybrid as a highly performative but softly speaking political product on the Chinese art scene.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Konst -- Konstvetenskap (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Arts -- Art History (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Chineseness

Frankenstein

Me and My Bride

Satan’s Wedding No. 5

Qiu Zhen

conceptual photography

contemporary Chinese art

hybridity

interpretation

Asian Languages and Cultures

Asiens språk och kulturer

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)