Emerging Curators Project 2023, city project of the 14th Shanghai Biennale: Cosmos Cinema (SH)
11. 09. 2023 - 02. 18. 2024
Curated by Li Jiawen and Zhang Jiawei
Artists: CHEN Dandizi, CHEN Wencun, FANG Di, GAI Qizheng, MA Haijiao, WANG He, Frank WANG Yefeng, Luka Yuanyuan YANG, Pocono ZHAO Yu
Key visual design: XU Xiaoyi
Visual design: CHENG Yuan
“Yangjing Bang English” Research and recording: Yumi, Daniel, Doo
About the Exhibition:
“Pidgin Spectrum: Nonlinear Narratives of Multiculture” draws inspiration from Shanghai’s history, using the pidgin language “Yangjing Bang English” as an entry point and extending to the cultural integration of today's globalized context. It showcases the identity perception and cultural reflections of a new generation of artists who grew up in this background and delves into broader discussions related to the historical context. These artists anchor themselves at different positions on the spectrum of language evolution, editing and transforming diverse lexicons as witnesses to cultural amalgamation.
In the mid-19th century, one of the tributaries of the Huangpu River, “Yangjing Bang,” served as the boundary of concession areas in Shanghai. This small river became a unique symbol of that era. At that time, Shanghai residents, aiming to facilitate communication and trade with foreigners, utilized Shanghainese English to create a hybrid language called “Yangjing Bang English,” which subsequently integrated into the Shanghai linguistic system.
Linguists have discovered that when two disparate linguistic civilizations first intersect and when a systematic learning of the other’s language is not yet attainable, a rudimentary provisional language often evolves, termed the “Pidgin Language.” Yangjing Bang English is precisely such a Pidgin Language, originating from China, bearing witness to the merging of foreign cultures with Chinese since the 1840s.
The exhibition presents a narrative of cultural coexistence, collision, and integration, together forming a complex “cultural universe” story. In this chaotic and diverse space, the interpretation, misinterpretation, and assimilation of different cultures often lead to the generation of each individual's unique “Pidgin Language.”
Venue: Sinan Mansion-Sinan Time Zone
Address: Sinan Mansion No.1 Ground Floor, Lane 523, Fuxing Middle Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Operate Time: Weekdays 13:00-19:00, weekends 11:00-19:00, closed on Tuesday
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