Negotiating the Literati Landscape Tradition

A Study of Bingyi’s “The Shape of the Wind”

Abstract

In this paper, I explore Bingyi's dialogue between the Chinese landscape painting tradition and her identity as a Chinese contemporary female artist. For this purpose, I analyse the ink scroll and art performance "Shape of the Wind in the Fuchun Mountains," which was exhibited in Berlin in 2012. Firstly, I provide a historical overview to acknowledge how the genre of landscape painting has evolved throughout the centuries, to finally emerge as one of the most distinguished traditions in Chinese art. Secondly, I delve into Bingyi's video performance "Shape of the Wind" to understand how she negotiates the literati landscape painting tradition. In such a manner, the artist embraces the Daoist implication within shanshui and radicalises it in her performative artistic process.