CONCEPTUAL CALLIGRAPHY OF CHINA AS A RESULT OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF TRADITIONAL ART IN THE MODERN CONTEXT

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to investigate the phenomenon of modern conceptual calligraphy in China and its integration into the global artistic context. It is important to determine the features of the emergence and development of this artistic direction against the background of globalization processes and the integration of Chinese art into the international context. The traditional art of Chinese writing gradually acquires the features of conceptual art, when priority is given to the idea and concept of the work. In order to understand the definition of the category “conceptual art”, the conducted research searches of curators who work with modern calligraphy, as well as the research of Solomon Levitt, Peter Osborne and others, are analyzed. Conceptualism focuses on the idea of the work, and not on its external form or aesthetics, in modern art, the priority belongs to the concept, not to the form, criticism of the object-oriented approach is heard, and the boundaries of visual art are expanding due to the use of new media. The article analyzes the work of leading Chinese artists and their projects, which work at the intersection of the traditional art of writing and the ideas of conceptualism. It is shown how they transform the canons of classical calligraphy, combining it with installation, video art, and performance. Techniques of deconstruction of traditional ideas about writing as an art form are analyzed. Entering the modern art space, the traditional art of Chinese calligraphy takes on the features of conceptual art, where priority is given to the idea and concept of the work, but philosophical influences and traditional ideas about the aesthetics of this art are preserved. It has been established that modern Chinese calligraphy goes beyond technical practice, acquiring a conceptual and mental dimension. It integrates into the international art space, becoming an organic part of the global artistic discourse. This testifies to profound transformations of Chinese cultural identity.