My Visual Archive Directed by Wang Jianwei
My Visual Archive contains footage of war films and Chinese model operas, produced by the prolific August First Film Studio during the Cultural Revolution. Chinese propaganda films focused mostly on the courage of the People’s Liberation Army and the struggle of the proletariat against tyrannical landowners. The ‘eight revolutionary model operas’ celebrated communist ideology and were seen by generations of audiences. For Wang, these productions deeply influenced the early development of his artistic imagination and creative sensibility. In My Visual Archive, he presents the visual culture of his childhood as a fundamental aspect of his contemporary artistic practice.
