Revolutionary exhibition and youth identity

A visitor study of the Shanghai Sihang warehouse battle memorial

Bibliographic Data

ID5718373
AuthorsSiyi Wang (0000-0002-2731-3176, Shanghai University, corresponding author), Xinyi Wu (0009-0009-9933-7298, Shanghai University)
Year2023
Volume38
Issue3
Pages293-316
Publication date2023-05-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMuseum Management and Curatorship (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0964-7775 • E-ISSN: 1872-9185
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09647775.2022.2158909
OpenAlexW4312068987
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited24

Revolutionary exhibitions are unique cultural resources in China, part of a ‘red’ narrative that centers the Communist Party in the country’s liberation and development. They contribute substantially to the creation of a shared national identity, yet current revolutionary exhibitions in China show too much homogenization and too little narrative innovation. Organized and curated primarily on a mechanical manner, they often lack the persuasive force needed to promote a red narrative in the twenty-first century. Through in-depth interviews with visitors at the Shanghai Sihang Warehouse Battle Memorial, this article explores how revolutionary exhibitions can tell red stories in a way that engages the public, especially younger generations. This study addresses a critical question: How can exhibitions establish and maintain connections between a country’s revolutionary history, which is based on self-sacrifice, and a globalized market economy, which is driven by self-interest

Aesthetics · Art · Battle · China · Communism · Exhibition · Literature · Media studies · Narrative · National identity · Political science · Sociology · Visitor pattern · Visual arts · Chinese history and philosophy · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · History · Law · Museums and Cultural Heritage

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