Visual Culture in Contemporary China

This comprehensive two-volume set explores the complex relationship between social transformation and visual culture in contemporary China.

Drawing on Marxist historical materialism and interdisciplinary approaches, this set offers a nuanced analysis of how visual culture is produced, constructed and experienced in modern China. The first volume examines the visual construction of popular culture, avant-garde art and grassroots media culture, analysing cultural tensions in contemporary China through the lens of visual representation and offering insights into the interplay between social change and visual expression. The second volume explores the transformation of urban landscapes, the evolution of visual regimes, and the aestheticization of everyday life through visual technologies. It assesses how rapid urbanisation has affected cultural autonomy and local identity, explores the role of public museums in the construction of public visuality, and analyses how visual technologies - from television to mobile phones - have reshaped traditional customs and given rise to new digital subcultures.

This set will provide valuable insights for scholars and students of Chinese studies, cultural studies and urban studies, as well as readers interested in the ongoing visual transformation of contemporary Chinese society.