Home>News Center>Life
         
 

Should naked human body be used as an art symbol?
(Beijing Review)
Updated: 2005-07-20 11:26

Don't Criticize What You Don't Know

Xu Xiao (freelance writer): What is performance art? In essence, I think, performance art can be defined as a relatively free expression of the performer through body activities or actions.


A nude man crawls off the belly of a dead ox at the grass ground of a Nanjing Park where performers stage a show of the art of behavior. [baidu] 

In terms of its concept, the boundary of performance art is not very clear. It is mainly created according to the performer’s idea, and doesn’t always feature nudity.

Performance art came into being in the West and has become a relatively mature form of art after many years of development. But in China, the development of performance art is just at the embryonic stage. By saying that I mean, whoever it is, the performer him/herself or the audience, they do not seem to know what they are doing or what they are watching.

All kinds of strange performance art that emerged in China in recent years are hard to be accepted by its citizens, as they incline to going to extreme and seem completely unreasonable. Particularly when some of the performance art creators tend to express themselves mainly in extreme ways like causing bodily harm, drawing blood. This challenges the extremes of humanity and morality.

I am saying that in present China, few people know what art is, let alone performance art. But now more people are commenting on things that we do not really have any knowledge of. My point is if we do not really know what performance art is, the best thing is to tolerate it.
Page: 1234



Jude Law apologizes for affair
Sandra Bullock reportedly weds Mechanic
Miss Intercontinental contest in Hefei
  Today's Top News     Top Life News
 

Typhoon hits coastal areas, one million evacuated

 

   
 

Pentagon: China's military strengthening

 

   
 

China to keep yuan basically stable this year

 

   
 

Bush: Sino-US relations 'important, complex'

 

   
 

Haier, partners drop bid to buy Maytag

 

   
 

Registered jobless rate unchanged at 4.2%

 

   
  Should naked human body be used as an art symbol?
   
  Haier remains the most favored boss for students
   
  Five compete for China Oscar nomination
   
  Singer philanthropist moves CCTV hosts
   
  Fun on the piste means low water supplies
   
  Rat race Hong Kong comes to terms with depression
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Feature  
  1/3 Chinese youth condone premarital sex  
Advertisement