Dans les yeux des artistes

During the first half of the 20th century, travel constituted a fundamental part of the construction process of the Chinese nation state and of its affirmation in the international arena. The border areas of Western China were paramount in this process. In those days, travelling to these regions—which were considered to be remote, backward and uncivilized—enabled the Chinese government to know more about them in order to control and integrate them into the new Chinese republic and national imagination. This article recounts the ways in which the region of Kham (Muli in particular) was perceived by a circle of young artists who were university acquaintances and travelling companions. They studied, worked and travelled together in the region in the 1930s. Those in the circle, including Li Lincan, Xia Ming, Zhao Wuji, Zhu Dequn, Wu Guanzhong and Li Chenlan describe a vision of the "other" which is much more complex and nuanced than the usual discourse, highlighting the dichotomy of "centre versus periphery" and "civilisation versus barbarism." A close analysis of their experience rather suggests a vision of the "other" where the civilising and patriotic fervour of that time is combined with traditional Chinese aesthetic and moral ideals, as well as new scientific and philosophical Western views. It is a vision where travelling to the "other" becomes also a pretext for thinking about the true value of humankind, and the encounter with Shen Congwen was crucial in maturing this vision

Art · Art history · Barbarism · Civilization · Counterpoint · Humanities · Political science · Sociology · Vision · Anthropology · Chinese history and philosophy · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · Law · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies

• Frontier Tibet

  Open Access•Stéphane Gros•Frontier Tibet•2025

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