The work explores “Wenming” (civilization) as interplay between identity, ethnicity and cyberspace. Often seen in propaganda and policy for economic progress, Wenming is also constructed digitally and corporeally on social media platforms like Kuaishou, where ethnic identity and cultural authenticity are circulated.
Wenming Constructs, photo: Phoebe Lemon
Wenming Constructs, photo: Phoebe Lemon
AI-generated videos displayed on the walls of a “xiao qu” (neighborhood), a key site for political messaging, imagine Wenming’s potential to racialize and orientalize.