Microsoft Word - 190-200 Thought and Things females in art 7-27.docx Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Thoughts & Things 02 �� � December 7, 2014 Madeline Eschenburg Abstract The following is an interview with five women working in the Beijing contemporary art world. This interview along with other Beijing artist profiles and exhibition reviews can be viewed on the Open Ground Blog (http://www.opengroundblog.com). About the Author Madeline Eschenburg is a PhD student in the History of Art and Architecture department of University of Pittsburgh. Her research centers around contemporary Chinese art with a special focus on the relationship between urban-based artists and rural China. She has published in Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture, and Art Slant. She is currently living in Beijing conducting dissertation research with the support of a Fulbright Fellowship. Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 One of the issues I have been considering lately is the position of women in the contemporary Chinese art world. While there have definitely been some incredibly influential and powerful female artists, curators, and intellectuals over the last thirty years, the highest official governmentally sponsored positions in the current Chinese art world are primarily occupied by males. Although it seems like there are more female Chinese artists being exhibited than ever before, there are still clearly some structural inequalities that must be addressed. The Western concept of feminism was first introduced to China at the end of the Qing dynasty and was used as part of the discourse of modernization, symbolizing new, modern ideas of citizenship, gender, and nation. From that time forward, different terms have been applied to this concept, simultaneously emphasizing various female qualities to be celebrated and revealing the ideological and symbolic weight of the female gender in the process of anti-colonialism, revolution, and nation-building. In the post-Mao period, with the ever-visible role of globalization and marketization, the status of women, explorations of female identity, and the concept of �feminism� continue to undergo changes. In the context of the art world, this can be explored through subject matter, medium, and technologies chosen by female artists as well as international and domestic job opportunities afforded to women in the field. In this “Thoughts and Things,” I have chosen five women currently working in the Beijing contemporary art world to answer questions about their experiences and opinions related to this topic. Xing Danwen (đ�©) is a Beijing-based artist of international repute. Hua Er (Ø-) is owner and curator of see + Gallery in the 798 art district of Beijing. Lihui Dong (ú�ą) has a PhD in Chinese art from Tsinghua University and is currently finishing her second PhD in modern Chinese art at the University of Pittsburgh, Antonie Angerer is the co-owner of hutong-gallery I: project space and formerly worked at See Space Gallery in 798, and Emma Karasz is in charge of the residency program at the Red Gate Gallery. I have chosen women from a variety of professional and cultural backgrounds within the field in an attempt to gain a wider-ranging understanding of the multiple perspectives on this complex issue. Xing Danwen|đ�© 1. Explain your professional relationship to the contemporary Chinese art world. ǎ�ƿċ���Q�Y��ƪ«Ý��0ìĥ My relationship with contemporary art in China is pretty simple. My role is an artist. My job is creation. Art is my voice and language. I want my art to express my ideas and point of view, to speak for me. �Ć�Y��ƪĸÝ0ì²ÅǢƇyÝ��Ýā ù²ƪĸl��Ýv&²d&��Ý&R²�Ý ^ĝQnjĂ��y¹&RºĈõµ>Ǯ�Ý�É QßÉġ¶�ǍNJ� Thoughts & Things 02 �� � December 7, 2014 Madeline Eschenburg 1 9 2 T h o u g h t s & T h i n g s 0 2 � � � Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 2. Could you describe your experience as a female professional in China? According to your experience, has your gender influenced your ability to work effectively within the field? ǎ�£ċ�[�Y��d�Ɵ�ÝƓȒĥ¿¡�ÝǨ�ƓȒġ�Ý�gÎ�Ýv&õ;·È·�Sĥ This problem actually can be looked at from many perspectives. First, I think making art is very individualistic, so in terms of making art, I try as much as possible to remove outside negative influences and repetition. I try to make original artworks and have an original art language. Second, female artists often have a feeling of being overlooked. The primary roles in the art world—curators, critics, and organizers—are mostly men. Women rarely have these roles. The art world overlooks the ratio of men and women. Most people don’t really want to exclude female artists, they just don’t realize the reality of the gender imbalance, and therefore, they don’t make moves to actively change the situation. I am generally the only woman in conferences or group shows, leading viewers to ask,�Why are you the only female?� That question hits the nail on the head. It makes me realize the truth of being �the only one� or a �minority.� Third, according to my observations, when facing a bottleneck, or gender obligations, it is easier for women to retreat, abandon the original plan, or sacrifice themselves. This is the reason that it appears that female artists are scarce or disappearing. They lack persistence and courage in perusing their ideal careers. It seems to be a gender-specific weakness. Fourth, an artist’s work is often very solitary and private. Especially when I’m travelling to shoot photographs, I have realized that there is an advantage to being a woman. A friendly and honest woman will not be a disturbance to other people. It’s often easier to win over the support and help of a passerby. It’s easier to establish goodwill and amicability. Therefore, it’s easier to take photographs, especially about sensitive topics, or take candid shots. ãNj�5 �LÝ ā�ßǨ ǾȎ�è�ġ�ƻ�ƪĸd&Ýè�IJě{ ��Ýġ��[d&«Ĝ� tIõ¢ę`ÙÝ�ø�SQė_�ġlj¢,6Bd�&RQÓĐÝƪĸnjĂ�è�ġƪĸÙĖ&�dƪĸ l{{·ÿ�ÚÝ�Ʒ�ƪĸÙÝ Āāùģêu��DžǂlQƪĸƎƐñġbē7²×�Ĥd�·āùÝ �r�ƪĸÙ�Ú�d�āùÝÜ7Å�ǁa�3���¢ªd�ƪĸlġH²È·öƷ�dž8Ǩä×dÅ (�~ýÝŢÉġXÃÈ· p,6���ĀÝüp��öws{{²“ U�Ýd�” ][jĸǂ«Ė�ï uĖġÿƴ�EǾ“ ���H·'� d�” ĥ�9�ǼƳûݤǾġ�ƽ��Ţ“ U�” �ñ“ r¨” Ý �É� è�ġs�ƴo%!ġĜÎÕȍ��g"oġd�µm±ČA�¦��ŞÐö�ġǨ�Ď��d� ƪĸl9år�ÊcÝŢăġÎÔ���í�ª ��Q=�Þ:ġ"�²�gÑÌ�Ý� �Ì�èWġ ƪĸlv&Ĩ��Ĕ�yÓQãnġÑg²��Óö­ü�ěĨġ��Ţ&��$d�ġµ2·<ą��� DV»ÉÝd�ġĞ.�!ά�.Ö}Č�ġ��µm±Ǘ�ć�Ý¥ Qz<ġµm±�çȄ�Ă> ÝV�QDeġ�ò)��ěġÑg²Î���§��Ý Ȏ�Ǥć�Ý��Ò4� 3. Do you think that the status of and opportunities available to women in the contemporary art world in China have improved or become worse over the last ten years? In what ways? [�YĊ@�ÝǤæ�ġ�Ʒ�d�Ý\$�¼!¤ğ��ĥf¾¤ğÝNJġþŢ[T�«Ĝĥ There are more female artists from the generation born in the�70s or�80s. The opportunities now are clearer, the world is more open, not like my generation. But the gender ratio is still not equal. In fact, in the art world, women mostly have organizational jobs or are dealers; there are very few female curators or critics. In this arena, men hold leading roles and women play supporting roles. �@Q/@��6ÖÝ��dƪĸl"�a����Ţ[ݼ!µË´ġ Ùµ�¦ġĆ�Ý�����Ł ġ#²�gÅ(ǧ�~ý�ÉȀ�ġµa[ƪĸÙv&Ýd�ġa¨²,ƎƐv&QƪĸR'zġA�rd �êu��ñDžǂl��Jćġ ā�²×ÖġdÖa�ĕā� 4. What does the word�feminism�mean to you, if anything, in the context of contemporary China/contemporary Chinese art? Or, is there another word that would better describe your hopes for the future of gender relations in this field? 1 9 3 M a d e l i n e E s c h e n b u r g Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 [���YĢ���Yƪĸó³�ġÎ�½ƿġ“ d� "” Ǩ Lj·����ĥǧ²·È·� G`ݵ KčÝLj½þĉ�Îp½×d0ìÝy¹ĥ For me, once d� " (feminism) or d�ƪĸ (female art) is highlighted or mentioned, it means it is a problem. I don’t like it when people pay attention to these words. In fact, I classify female artists as�minorities.�I think in the art world, the most important thing is to decide to raise people’s understanding about this topic. To actively pay attention to the ratio of men and women in exhibitions, in publishing, and academic activities. Just talking about it is meaningless. The most important thing in this unhealthy situation is to do things to actively make change. I’m not saying we need to lower our standards for female art. Actually, there are a lot of good female artists and works that have not received deserved attention or interest. ÎĉĽǍ Ę_“d� "”�“d�ƪĸ”s�PಠǾȎ�ĉó��ŅǨ,�Ljƞëǘ0ŮVŒ �ǨÉ Ȁ��ĎºƪĸÌíƉ�“r¨Ç®”��ƻ�¥ƪĸūıǹƲŮīƢƣƷ¦Ęȓ09ÎǨ�NJȎŮƻdž � pÉĥ+~Ô�_Ŝ��Äĸœp ėƵũºŌš � ðÖ{ǐŐIJă" ǹƲŮī�ǨŽƬY�ƧM� ,ÉȀŮ*� ��²Ǎ�ňĉ9ãNjȁCκûƪĸÌE�ǕǺŮƲŏ �ÉȀ�IJó´¼ŮºûƪĸÌ� XE�ŐIJôhãIJŮǹƵ�VŒ� Antonie Angerer 1. Explain your professional relationship to the contemporary Chinese art world.� � ǎÿƿǪ�,ÿ��¡î7ƪ«Ů��VƋ� I cofounded I: project space, a non-commercial art space with artist-in-residence program in the Hutong area. Before that, I used to work in different commercial galleries in 798 and researched on contemporary Chinese art. It is very important to us, my partner Anna Eschbach and I, to offer a platform for art forms, artists, and art professionals that might have no space inside the market-driven art world in China and abroad. ��¸D�Ą[[>�ÝôL?dl(ȇůfƪ ĸç�ȑŬƺa�¥#iĉ¥u/Ů798 ƪĸv IJ,��ŪçÖE ǧIJŸƀ�¡î7ƪĸŮƓȒ�ĉ ÝK �ġ Anna Eschbach, Q�Ĕƻ���, ¥¡Z³Ú¨ŐIJƁǿŮƪĸïê ƪĸÌ�ƪĸ��ĘH��ß�īw`ǹƲŮ� 2. Could you describe your experience as a female professional in China? According to your experience, has your gender influenced your ability to work effectively within the field? ǎÿėǪÿ¥�¡5*ºûƟ�ŮƓȒ�łĒÿŮǨ,ƓȒ ÿŮûgÎÿŮÖEƢkIJŐIJð�� 1 9 4 T h o u g h t s & T h i n g s 0 2 � � � Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 This question is very hard to answer for me, since I am not Chinese and often not confronted with social restriction that my Chinese colleagues have to deal with. I do think that since the Chinese art world is, just like other professional fields in China, very much structured by the guanxi principle,1 female protagonists are left outside of certain art circles. Therefore a kind of solidarity under female colleagues is definitely there. I personally have not experienced that my femininity has influenced my work here very much. ��ĉ�ī�¡0 &ŐIJDZhOó´�¡��ºûċDZhŮǶ!�ǹŮż!Ę9ĒǨŁŮ*Ā ċ85ĉ ŮƸåĽǍǨ�ǾȎóȄ�ƅ�ĉƻ����¡ƪĸ£ ǝgŮ���Ł ŧ �0ì” ÝBcƎĈŮ º û�ÈƱŀ,ƪĸ£Ĕģ��ƞ ĉ9�8ųh��ºûŮ Ɣ�5ĉ�0Ƹåų �È·ď8Ǥ��ĉ īº0�Ƣ=DZhŮÖEȃźǨŁŮ*Ā� 3. Do you think that the status of and opportunities available to women in the contemporary art world in China have improved or become worse over the last ten years? In what ways? [�YĊ@�ÝǤž� ÿƷôº0٦B�Ĺ=Ęȓ(��½ĿĘȓŮNJ ưŢ¥�,ĤȈ� I think, according to politically promoted programs like the�Leftover Women�(sheng nü), which put women under social pressure to get married before a certain age, there is a much more conservative trend in China. There are many female art professionals and artists, but it is a shame, because they are often defined through their male partner. In a way, I actually feel like female art in China also often has the female body or the traditional role of women in China as a topic. This might again be fault of the necessity of trying to categorize art. Instead of having an exhibition of female art once in a while, I think that it is necessary to offer them more space to develop independent art projects in general. �ƻ� ǯǤġäĖpŮ�,ȉŰ Ō½O jº ——d�8�k�ȕŧ+ż=}kƞƔ ĉ9�8ų h�ŽóJÆŮǚr�IJó´ºûƪĸ��0¯�ƪĸÌ Aī¸�ā ��»9ÞÞŧ»9ŮũûĚŃÈ "�ĉƻ��¡ŮºûƪĸÞÞ8ºûïDĊ>ƖŮºû¦B��Ȏ�Ǩ�ǾȎŮłķ�ƢĽƣ+lj¢Ïƪ ĸ`ƉŮöƲû�üŮĽǍ ŲÎ+NÐŮºûƪĸÔƶ ĉƻ�IJöƲƕºûƪĸÌĘHį´ƁǿĽ�Ô »9�0ŮƪĸȉŰ�� 4. What does the word�feminism�mean to you, if anything, in the context of contemporary China/contemporary Chinese art? Or is there another word that would better describe your hopes for the future of gender relations in this field? [���YĢ���Yƪĸơĭ� ÎÿĽƿ “d� "”Ǩ�LjIJ1!ăú�ǧīIJŐIJ���³Ůį� ǬŮLjĽưǣÿÎ(ÏĽũºVƋŮÜĴ� Of course women’s rights and the creation of possibilities for women are very important to me. In the context of contemporary art in China, we want to especially give young female artists, curators, or critics the chance to exhibit or work in our space. The word “feminism” is nowadays, in certain milieus, branded as being against something. For me, creating new opportunities for women is more important than looking back at the times when we didn’t have rights. It is not about demonizing men, but fighting for more rights and equal opportunities for women. �Íġd�Ļf�į´ŮĹ=ÎĉĽǍīóǹƲŮ�¥�¡ƪĸ£Ůnj®ǸȈ ĉ9Ʋ�ºûƪĸÌ ŝg īȆàŮºûƪĸÌ ƆÔ0ĊDžǂÌĘHdEƪĸĊƝÖEŮĹ=�“d� "”[·Ý�ß½ġ·EÎŮ 1 Guanxi, or � , is a Chinese word meaning “relationship.” It refers here to professional relationships formed through networking. 1 9 5 M a d e l i n e E s c h e n b u r g Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 ă"�ÎĉĽǍ �ºûĘHį´ŮĹ=Ō�ȋºûŐIJĻfŮ|�įǹƲ�Ǩá�īƲ¿Ȕtũ0 ƞī �(ƕº0)�į´ŮĻf�įßƄŮĹ=� Dong Lihui|ú�ą 1. Explain your professional relationship to the contemporary Chinese art world. ǎÿƿǪ�,ÿ��¡î7ƪ«Ů��VƋ� My major is art history, and contemporary Chinese art is one of my fields of interest. �Ý��īƪĸ� �¡î7ƪĸīĉŮWǛ# �� 2. Could you describe your experience as a female professional in China? According to your experience, has your gender influenced your ability to work effectively within the field? ǎÿėǪÿ¥�¡5*ºûƟ�ŮƓȒ�łĒÿ ŮǨ,ƓȒ ÿŮûgÎÿŮÖEƢkIJŐIJð �� As a female, I naturally pay more attention to gender issues within my research field. As a young mother, I have to spend more time on my family and kids, rather than develop my own social network. &���ºû ĉ·Ř¦įVŒĉŸƀȌ­��ºûIJVŮǾȎ�E�� MĚĀÎȋÌæŮºû ĉöȊ Đ_į´ÖE#³ŮĨǿĠ¥Ìæ�ÅÃǟ� ƞ�ī�ÔĉƣØŮij�£� 3. Do you think that the status of and opportunities available to women in the contemporary art world in China have improved or become worse over the last ten years? In what ways? [�YĊ@�ÝǤž�ġ�Ʒôº0٦B�Ĺ=Ęȓ(�? f¾¤ğÝNJ ưŢ¥�,ĤȈ� Yes. We can see more female artists, faculty, and curators in the contemporary art world. We can see more and more independent and single women in China. ²Ý��9�8ųhî7ƪĸūŮį´ºƪĸÌ�ÄƝ�ƆÔ0�ĉ9�8ųhşƂºû�şǟºû¥�Y �ą½ąa�� 4. What does the word�feminism�mean to you, if anything, in the context of contemporary China/contemporary Chinese art? Or, is there another word that would better describe your hopes for the future of gender relations in this field? [���YĢ���Yƪĸơĭ� ÎÿĽƿ “d� "”Ǩ�LjIJ1!ăú�ǧīIJŐIJ���³Ůį� ǬŮLjĽưǣÿÎ(ÏĽũºVƋŮÜĴ�� I feel it means women artists do their work independently, intelligently, and confidently. I cannot figure out another word. �ƻ�Ǩ�LjŮăúīºûƪĸÌşƂ�PŗĮąŮ�ƣKŮdEE��ĉĂ�_�³ŮLj(� 1 9 6 T h o u g h t s & T h i n g s 0 2 � � � Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 Emma Karasz 1. Explain your professional relationship to the contemporary Chinese art world. ǎÿƿǪ�,ÿ��¡î7ƪ«Ů��VƋ� I am the program director of Red Gate Residency, an international artists residency in Beijing. �[ Red Gate Gallery ȑŬƺaîǃƺȉŰŮ ƓŤ� 2. Could you describe your experience as a female professional in China? According to your experience, has your gender influenced your ability to work effectively within the field? ǎÿėǪÿ¥�¡5*ºûƟ�ŮƓȒ�łĒÿŮǨ,ƓȒ ÿŮûgÎÿŮÖEƢkIJŐIJð�� For the most part, no, it has not influenced my ability to work. I will admit that I never thought about this much until a previous artist-in-residence at Red Gate made a comment about my role that totally altered my way of thinking about the job, and the kind of image I must project to avoid getting boxed into a gendered conception of what I do. The comment needs some context: earlier this year, I was on a panel at a museum in Beijing with three male artists; we were speaking about the importance of residencies and cultural exchange. I was both the youngest person on stage and the only woman. After the panel, this resident told me that he was very upset that there hadn't been any women artists on stage, and furthermore, that the only woman (myself) was simply “a caretaker.” I was both hurt and outraged. In an attempt to condemn an institution for being sexist and to comment on a larger systemic problem, he was blatantly sexist. As “coordinator” of the program (as I was for the first year working at Red Gate) and now as director, I manage everything relating to the residency, from applications and finances, to airport pickups, and visits to Chinese artists' studios. Some people have called this a “babysitting” role. Since this resident's comment, I have been very conscious never to be too nurturing, forgiving, “soft”—all arguably instinctual characteristics of mine—for fear that it would cast me off as simply a womanly “caretaker,” as opposed to a capable manager of a international artists residency program. Because I am a woman, the complexities of my job were devalued. Would this happen if it were a man in the same position? I do not think this experience is unique to China. However, I do think it's worth noting that the idea of “woman as caretaker” is perhaps more socially acceptable in China than the social circle I come from in the US. To give an example, I recently met a Chinese painter while he was setting up his exhibition. His wife was helping him with the set-up (as family members often do; other times it is the artist's father, or brother, mother, etc.), and when I asked her what she did, she said "I'm his wife. I help him with his work." I think that perhaps in the art world, particularly in China, if the man in a heterosexual relationship is a successful artist, then it is totally normal and non-taboo for his spouse to devote her life to his work. I am not sure if the same would be true if the woman were the artist. �÷½Ǎ ĉŮûgÎĉŮÖEƢkŐIJð��ĉčƻĉƃ�ńĂhǨ�ǾȎī8i Red Gate ÝƪĸÌĘ hĉŮºûŮƸƩŮĨL�6ƽĉÇRğ�ĉÎǨ�ÖEŮųő ǧIJƽĉĂhĉø!ŁƲưǣƣØĽǴ QƱż=ŮũºĵĴċļƚ�ĉƲ4ƒ��Ǩ�ƼǂŮơĭ�3àe ĉ~n(��¥u/ŮƪĸȏƪĸÌ Ů�ƾ�“qƎƼǂ”Ġ�ę���`ġĔ²×ƪĸÌ�ĉ9ǐhƪĸÌŮȑŬƺa�Ģt-ŔŮǹƲû�¥ 1 9 7 M a d e l i n e E s c h e n b u r g Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 ƥ��Ů0Ǹ ĉīıàǡŮ ��Ůºû�=ƾ8� Ǩ�ƪĸÌ�LJĉ6īȇÞĆýŮ��ƥ��ŐIJ ºûŮƪĸÌ �Ǎ ƥ��Ů���ºû�ĉ��ī�ƈƞÙ�ĉĦĄhƱ?Ë�ȇÞŦŎ�6ǯǤǑǔ Ǩ�IJûgŊƵŮĹľ 8�Džǂ��į¶ŮƋƖûŮǾȎ TŘưǣ(6ƣØŮûgŊƵ� ��“xǏ0”ÝĨL�ĉ¥ Red Gate è��Ġ�CŢ¥îƓŤ ĉƈŤċIJǝȑŬƺaIJVƋŮ*Ā 5 Ũǎ�ǓoĤȈhĕĹ�DŽǾ�¡ƪĸÌŮÖEÊ ĉǷǒǔ�IJŮ0ĎĉŮÖEîM“*g”Ýāù��O 8Ǩ�ƪĸÌŮDžnjèÀ ��Þ�öƷôǴQưŢô¸řȋ0 ¸sÍ “Ǡ” ÝÑ� --- ĔI�Ǎīĉ ķƢŮŝñ—X�Ëùg0=Ĝģĉ��Ʒôĉ�ī�Bºû �ëÔ�”ġò�²� ·õ;ÝYȀȑŬƺ aŮƓŤ� X�ĉīº0 ĉŮÖEŮ²ĺûƱǖC�½Ŀ��ũ0IJ�ŁŮÖE FƷô6=DZhǨŁŮĀ\��ĉ �ƷôǨī��¥ �YÝÓÑÝƓȒ� #²ġ�áÉƷô”d�é�ëÔ�”ÝÁ�[�Yâ!ĖÅ�[îYÝqZiĖµF8Ņǥ�Ō½Ǎ ĉı Ǧƻdž(��¥]±ÔƶŮũƪĸÌ�6ŮƜÁ¥Ýq6]±�¥�YǨī��óĬDzŮĀ\�Ȃ(ƜÁ8 ³ IJŮĨL&īśś �� ¾¾ĽÝqƪĸÌ]±�ĉǾ6ŮƜÁ»M1!ÖE »Ǎ ��²�Ýð hġ�z<��” �ƻ��Ƣī¥Ģƪū ŝgī¥�¡ ½Ŀ��°¥�ûVƋ�ũ0ī��ĈmŮƪĸ Ì 6Ů@IcãNjÇR¹ŠƣØŮ�ŦĽxqƜTÖE ǨīīȇÞŇÞƞ�ō�ǴǀŮ�ĉ�Ŷdz½Ŀ ƪĸÌīºûŮNJ »ŮĀ\=ī��Ł� 3. Do you think that the status of and opportunities available to women in the contemporary art world in China have improved or become worse over the last ten years? In what ways? [�YĊ@�ÝǤž� ÿƷôº0٦B�Ĺ=Ęȓ(��½ĿĘȓŮNJ ưŢ¥�,ĤȈ� It is difficult for me to comment on that because I am relatively new to the Chinese contemporary art world and have only been in China for two years. In addition, as a young white woman in China, I have received preferential treatment in countless ways, but this represents a whole other problem, and not one necessarily related to the art world at all. That said, it is perhaps my positive and naive view that the status of women is always changing for the better, especially as we become a more globalized world, and particularly in China, as it plays a key role in that globalization.� Chinese women artists are notoriously underrepresented. We have a resident who has come back to the residency several times in the last year because she is writing about women artists in China. The fact that this hasn't already happened is indicative of inequality, but similarly, the fact that it's happening is a sign that there is cause for it now, and that women artists are finally receiving more attention. Actually, most of the people I know working in the art world in China are women. Often they are not the “artists,” but the people running what goes on behind the scenes. Most of the time, men are creating the information and the women are disseminating it. This does not necessarily mean they are less powerful, but it does mean that there are gender roles in place. This must be changed. ��ȄǐǂǨ�ǾȎ��ĉ¥�¡î7ĢƪūŮĨǿŌǢŷ ĉ¥�¡�IJ�à�ƞ� &���àǡŮ ŭ0ºû ĉ�h(ŝgŮ<ò Ǩ�Ā\�Ī(gŮǾȎ ��ÈǝĢƪūIJVƋ�ĉŮųő�Ƣī$ ƴŮ âſŮ AīĉƷôºû٦B�ű¥Ęȓ ŝgī��ĉ9Ů�ū�ű�hǙĽǙ´RţtŮð� ŝgī¥�¡ ��¥RţtŮǩž �¡Ů¦BīȇÞǹƲŮ� �9ǷŶdz �¡ºûƪĸÌŐIJǜµ7ưû�¥ Red Gate ȑŬƺa�ĉ9IJ��ó´ń�ĽŮ~nƝ ��»¥[V+¥�¡ŮºƪĸÌ9�Ƥ3ǧŐIJ0[Ǩ�ȎŰ Ǩ�*Éưĩ�Ž�ßƄŮĀ\ Aī Ţ¥IJ��0[Ǩ�ȎŰưŻǨī��ż=ȅŏ ºûƪĸÌƑ+�hį´VŒ� 1É ĉ¥ƪĢūƻdžŮbē7�ÌīºŮ��ƦĽǍ »9�ī“ƪĸÌ,�ò²|N�Ï��÷½Ǎ ũ 0dǰŶdž º0ĎǨ�Ŷdž>ĝèĽ�Ǩ��ÈưŻ»9ŐIJũ0ŮĻf AīĉƷôǨ�Ā\ŹÉă� Ŵ¥ĉ9Ůż=Ǹ ũºIJ�ÈŮûgƸƩ�Ǩ�Ā\ãNjƱğ�� 1 9 8 T h o u g h t s & T h i n g s 0 2 � � � Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 4. What does the word�feminism�mean to you, if anything, in the context of contemporary China/contemporary Chinese art? Or is there another word that would better describe your hopes for the future of gender relations in this field? [���YĢ���Yƪĸơĭ� ÎÿĽƿ “d� "”Ǩ�LjIJ1!ăú�ǧīIJŐIJ���³Ůį� ǬŮLjĽưǣÿÎ(ÏĽũºVƋŮÜĴ� I hope for equal representation. As we know, female artists are underrepresented in China. The familiar idol-worship of artists that goes on everywhere is almost entirely allotted to men. It would be very good to see a better gender balance between those making the art and those who run the art institutions. �y¹“~éÝ�þ�"�9ǷŶdz ¥�¡ºŮƪĸÌŮ7ưû� µ�ĉ9óŚþŮÎƪĸÌŮNOt� ƦĽǍīÎũƪĸÌNOt�ĉƷôı¼ŮĢƪūŮƎƐ�Ƣī¥dǰƪĸ��¥ƈŤƪĸĹľ#ǿŮũº ŌšįßƯ� Hua Er|Ø- 1. Explain your professional relationship to the contemporary Chinese art world. ǎÿƿǪ�,ÿ��¡î7ƪ«Ů��VƋ� In 2008 a friend and I established the see + gallery. This is a gallery only for photography located in the 798 district of Beijing. Before this, I lived in Shenzhen for over ten years. In terms of my relationship with the contemporary Chinese art world, I could trace it back to that time, because at the end of the twentieth century, I already had curated a few shows for some painters and photographers. When I opened the gallery in Beijing, I decided on the focus of my gallery: photography. Because in the contemporary Chinese art world photography was a weak field, most of our audiences only knew about European and American photography from the�80s and�90s, so I wanted to help expand that frame, even though the significance of the development of this period is difficult. In terms of the background of this form, from the beginning, I always gave priority to exhibitions of famous foreign photographers. Between 2008 and 2011, an internationally renowned critic helped to co-curate an exhibition with close to twenty photographers from America, Germany, France, and Japan. In 2012, besides continuing the ”big name�series of exhibitions, I also curated The History of Photography: Stephen White Collection, and Color Photography History Collection. These two exhibitions were the first ones in China that spanned 150 years of the history of photography. At that time, we also continued to care about and support the work of Chinese photographers, and for the past several years, we have had many exhibitions of Chinese photographers and made many recommendations for others to exhibit them, which is a great achievement. Until now, see + gallery has become well known within the field. 2008���¸D�Ą[>�dl( see+ galleryġǨī�ǿƍƊŮěðŪç ©ƭ¥u/798ƪĸv�¥ Ǩ#iĉİ¥ŕ§Ŧœ(w^à ĀǍ��¡î7ƪ«ŮVƋ &ǁ�8ǫŖhǶ�Ĩĵ ��¥��ƌ ĶĉÙƓ��,î7ŪÌ�ěðÌƆaǤ�,Ôƶ�¥u/dl see+Ĩ ĩŹ(��ÈB ǶÑī8ðO �����ěð¥�¡î7ƪ«īìrȌ­ &ǁ5¶;ÎXŮƻdž�22Ųî+ņƛŮS�%wà7 ċ 1 9 9 M a d e l i n e E s c h e n b u r g Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 8ĉĂ�8E�ŮƁǿį¶�, Òƈ�ň�Ĩ&ă�Ŵ�ÔŮʼn:=įƨȄ�ǻ+ǨŁŮï÷ơĭ ĉ5 èÀÑǭď(8�ūěð��Ʈ�Ů¡³ěð¶ÛÔƶ�� 2008 �Ħ2011 �Ý5�ǿ ĉ�ĉǵǎŮ ¡ȀƮ�DžǂÌƠ�ƆÔ(Ǧ20$½öîY��Y�ÉY�°ºéěð¶ÛŮÔƶ�2012��½ę�Ɨƙ ¶ÛƋbÔƶ ĉǧƆÔ(“The History of Photography Stephen White Collection”ġ�C“Color Photography History Collection”ġǨ��Ƿī¥�¡Ȑń lǞǙ 150�ěð|�ٶ¬Ôƶ��ň� Ĩ ĉ9&�űVŒ�ĞđŴ�¡ķ¤ěðÛŮdE ^àĽ ´ń l��³Ėƫķ¤ěðÛŮÔƶ � ô(Ƨ¼Ů�Ƙ�ĨƤ3ħ see+ galleryxƓĈ��ZIJŰUŵŮ��ěðŪç� 2. Could you describe your experience as a female professional in China? According to your experience, has your gender influenced your ability to work effectively within the field? ǎÿėǪÿ¥�¡5*ºûƟ�ŮƓȒĥ¿¡�ÝǨ,ƓȒ ÿŮûgÎÿŮÖEƢkIJŐIJð�� I don�t define my experience as a female professional experience, because my work has never had clear gender expectations or discrepancies. Just speaking from my own experience and luck, in my job right now, women seem to be more attentive than most men in terms of management. ��áköw·��d�Ɵ�Ů�ǽƓȒ ��ĉċ5*ŮÖEáŐIJĩŹŮûgƲŏĊ×é��ī8ĉ� 0ŮûÀQ+eòĂġ��Ţ¥ŮŪçÖE &ǁ¥ƈŤĤȈ=Ō�Ʀũû´�,Əõ 3. Do you think that the status of and opportunities available to women in the contemporary art world in China have improved or become worse over the last ten years? In what ways? [�YĊ@�ÝǤž� ÿƷôº0٦B�Ĺ=Ęȓ(� ½ĿĘȓŮNJ ưŢ¥�,ĤȈ� Without a doubt, the status and opportunities for women have increased. Not only in the household, but also in terms of their role in society, women no longer only reside in subordinate positions; they have actively taken more power, and even freedom of speech. Take the art world for example: in the last ten years of the establishment of the structure of the art world, women continue to hold a large proportion of the leadership roles. ƯÛǾ ½3º0٦B�Ĺ=ǷIJċĘȓ��ǂ¥Ìæ ǧīż=ƸƩĤȈǷÙƓ�22Ó+5Õ¦ B ēę(į´Ů�pĻ ťƤNJnjĻ�8ƪ«�G ¥Ǧ 10 ��çÝƪĸĹľǸ ºûMēǽ0Ů�ű {ĒŴó¶ŮŌG� 4. What does the word�feminism�mean to you, if anything, in the context of contemporary China/contemporary Chinese art? Or is there another word that would better describe your hopes for the future of gender relations in this field? [���YĢ���Yƪĸơĭ� ÎÿĽƿ “d� "”Ǩ�LjIJ1!ăú�ǧīIJŐIJ���³Ůį� ǬŮLjĽưǣÿÎ(ÏĽũºVƋŮÜĴ� I’m sorry, but I don’t have any special understanding in terms of this question. ��ÂÎ+Ǩ�ǾȎ ĉŐIJŝŋŮ(ƹ� 2 0 0 T h o u g h t s & T h i n g s 0 2 � � � Contemporaneity: Historical Presence in Visual Culture http://contemporaneity.pitt.edu Vol 4, No 1 (2015) | ISSN 2155-1162 (online) | DOI 10.5195/contemp.2015.156 New articles in this journal are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 United States License. This journal is operated by the University Library System of the University of Pittsburgh as part of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program, and is co-sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press.