Salad Song
August 26, 2005
By now we are all well aware of the profound relationship between the citizens of Bejing and Montpellier. Therefore it should come as no surprise when the Occitanian cultural powers that be deem it high time for an ‘international biennial’ of Chinese contemporary art in their fair city. And why the heq not, if every other city can have one why shouldn’t Montpellier?
Of particular interest to me was Song Dong’s (Beijing, PRC) leafy greens installation at the entrance of the Pavillon du Musée Fabre. The work is titled, ‘Art after Da Zhai’ and I have done my best translating the programme description thusly:
Song Dong uses one of Maoist China’s most important political catchphrases, “Agriculture takes example from DaZhai.” In the Sixties, the peasants of this village of Shanxi multiplied their grain production by seven and Mao Zedong presented Da Zhai with the ‘red banner’. The mountains carved in terraces by the farmers became a political emblem.
Song Dong met en oeuvre l’un des mots d’ordre politiques les plus important de la Chine maoïst, “L’agriculture prend exemple sur DaZhai.” Dans les années 60, les paysans de ce village du Shanxi multiplièrent par sept leur production céréalière. Mao Zedong fit de Da Zhai la bannière rouge sue le front agricole et les montagnes sculptées en terrasses par les paysans devinrent des emblêmes politiques.
debra at 13:06 | | post to del.icio.us
