THE RIVER ALSO FLOWS: TIME AND LIFE OF CHINA’S THREE GORGES

by Elaine Wang | 1st year Ph.D. Student in Art History, Rice University

ABSTRACT

The Three Gorges served as an important site for creating and transmitting Chinese culture and traditions, for most of its history. But the landscape has been greatly reshaped in the recent century by the Three Gorges Project, which is perhaps one of the most epic while condemned projects witnessed by the Anthropocene. My discussion begins with the historical and technical issues of the Three Gorges Project, as well as the role of the state-owned corporation in exploiting clean energy. Then I will talk about the ambivalence lies in the temporality and spatiality of the Three Gorges, by critically examining the artistic response of contemporary visual artists and filmmakers who document the transformation of the Three Gorges regions. Works discussed include paintings by Liu Xiaodong, videos by Chen Qiulin, and the Movie Still Life directed by Jia Zhang-Ke. The podcast ends with exploration of an underwater museum.

Artworks

Liu Xiaodong, Great Migration at the Three Gorges, oil on canvas, four panels, 2003.

Liu Xiaodong, New Settlers at the Three Gorges, oil on canvas, four panels, 2004.

https://www.newamericanpaintings.com/blog/liu-xiaodong-between-israel-and-palestine

Chen Qiulin, Farewell poem, video, 2002. http://www.chenqiulin.com/?page_id=12370

Chen Qiulin, River river, video, 2006. http://www.chenqiulin.com/?page_id=12371

Chen Qiulin, The Garden, video, 2007. http://www.chenqiulin.com/?page_id=12368

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———. “The Garden.” Accessed April 20,2019. http://www.chenqiulin.com/?page_id=12368.

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