My long way to Madame Mao
Video | InstallationAbstract
"My long way to Madame Mao/Jiang Qing" is set up as a performative research project in which I follow
the live journey of Jiang Qing, Maos fourth wive. She was born as an illegitimate child, became
an actress in Shanghai in the 1930ies and married Mao in the 1940ies. During her marriage in the
1950ies she was suffering from cancer and mental sickness but in the 1960ies she got back on stage –
as the leader of the „Gang of Four“– responsible for thousands and thousands of deaths. After Maos
dead she was imprisoned and finally killed her self in prison 1991.
In my Video I travel to the places where she has lived in Shanghai, where she meet Mao but also to
places were the cultural revolution took special turns. At these spots you don't find commemoration
of the victims of the cultural revolution – it seems like the killing and public punishing as well
as the destruction of cultural heritage has never happened. In chinese history Jiang Qing is the one
to blame – end of the official history writhing.
Until now the installation contains:
.) 24 Road drawings to places the cultural revolution took place.
.) 1 video: Performances in Public Space at historic spots combined with quotes from Jiang Qing and Mao.
.) 1 research table: Information on my research.
.) Map of Beijing: with the marked places and interview questions to Professor Yin Hongbiao.
Video
Pictures of the Installation
