The Continuation and Critique of Monumentality in Chinese Contemporary Art

Abstract

The concept of "monument" originated in Western cultural contexts and is a cornerstone of ancient Western art history. From the pyramids of Egypt to the Acropolis of Athens in Greece, and from the Pantheon in Rome to medieval churches, these massive religious and commemorative structures that combine architecture, sculpture, and painting reflect the pursuit of visual forms and the costs people were willing to pay for them. Eventually, these monumental buildings formed a stable spiritual symbolism that continued in later cultural developments, making the monument a spiritual symbol, or "monumentality." Chinese contemporary art has developed rich cultural connotations along with the changing times, gradually focusing on presenting a comprehensive understanding and reflection of the human world. The "monumentality" in artistic spirit has also undergone unique interpretation and subversion. Contemporary artistic creations that subvert the old "monumentality" spiritual traits and establish "new monumentality" attributes not only criticize and transcend the inherent spirit in terms of expression techniques but also demonstrate deeper tendencies to confront conventional cultural norms, reconstruct global and local cultural identities, and criticize artistic alienation by borrowing power from inherent culture. The positive significance of this critical monumentality spirit lies in the aesthetic redemption of Chinese contemporary art from an artistic and culturally self-conscious perspective.