Guest lecture "Writing on Skin in Contemporary Chinese Literature and Visual Culture"

Feb 27, at 16:15 - Ülikooli 16 - 214 - guest lecture "Writing on Skin in Contemporary Chinese Literature and Visual Culture"

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Külalislektor

Visiting Lecturer: Julius Kochan, PhD researcher, University of Oxford

This lecture shall discuss two forms of skin writing: the tattoo and the scar, and how they have been described and depicted in Contemporary Chinese literature (especially the prose author Sutong) and visual art. These two kinds of textuality have specific histories in China and they have established ways of being read. Scars became a major motif in the shanghen wenxue movement and tattoos have a long history of their own, spanning many dynasties. I shall problematise the 'reading' of tattoos and scars, considering in particular the issues of agency, pain, and stigma. This analysis will lead to a provisional theory of the skin in Contemporary China - how it signifies and whether or not it can avoid being read.

Everyone is very welcome!

Vladimir Sazonov

Vladimir Sazonov

Peeter Espak

Peeter Espak

Alevtina Solovyeva

Alevtina Solovyeva