Output details
34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
China Through the Looking Glass
(comprising two artefacts 'Fashion Chess' and 'National Dress')
'Fashion Chess' and 'National Dress' were commissioned by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and extended Ling's research for her exhibition Fusionable Cheongsam (2007) which drew on the socio-cultural revolution of the Chinese dress. The outputs followed key presentations (Università Iuav di Venezia, Treviso, 2009; Oxford University, 2009; Turner Contemporary, 2008; V&A, 2008) on China, fashion, modernities and cultural hybridity.
The historical site of the V&A was used to contextualise the subject of China in both atefacts. Installed in the grand entrance, 'National Dress' contested cultural and economic imperialism alongside increased visibility of Chinese commodity and its global investment. It incited discussion on the fundamentals of human rights and freedom of speech in China vis-à-vis the fear of its rise. Audiences were invited to play the second artefact 'Fashion Chess', a participatory installation, through which uncovered the hierarchy of fashion 'centres' or capitals and the complicated positioning of Chinese fashion on the global stage. The chess pieces were all 'made in China' but sourced in respective fashion capitals then reconfigured into art objects. Installed alongside the museum’s chinoiserie exports of the 17th and 18th century, the process of making 'Fashion Chess' created a dialogue on global trade and consumption with the chinoiserie collectables. A public talk ('Through the Looking Glass of the Chinese Dress: Chineseness and Authenticity', 2011) was delivered in the museum alongside the exhibits. The event brought together historians, academics, art and fashion researchers and the general public. It furthered the discussion on contemporary China and the interface between visual art and fashion. An extended conference presentation at the museum further disseminated the research ('The Legacy of the Chinese Robes' 2011). Post-programme activity included a new commission for Plymouth Amphitheatre (2012).
