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Comments
The "Red Guard" appeared during the Proletarian Cultural
Revolution in China, and they were proposed to guard Chairman
Mao Zedong and his red regime in China. Mao was determined to
lead this revolution, which meant to cleanse China of its past
and put it on the road to a socialist utopia.
Here, the "Red Guard" has returned to evaluate the state of affairs
of the present. Familiar to him will be the communist party -which is still the
only leading party- and socialism, which still dominates the country¡¯s
political system. He will recognise the continued interest and retention of the
Forbidden City.
Economically, however, development has taken benefit from capitalism¡¯s
free market theory, a far cry from Mao¡¯s utopian ideal. The current
manifestations of the new China, that of shopping malls and fast food restaurants,
offer a strange testimony to this time-travelling guardsman; an uncanny view
at what has, in fact, become of his country.
Diligent and loyal, he surveys the new intrusions, keeping within the protocol
of his red army.
Bearing the proper uniform, Mao¡¯s medal, Red Guard label, and the
little red book with the quotations of Mao, our historical representative travels
not only between Beijing¡¯s politics and Shanghai¡¯s finances,
but also between an idealist past and the more sobering, if questionable, present.
Date of work: 2003.
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Comentarios
La “Guardia Roja” apareció durante la Revolución
Cultural Proletaria en China, su propósito era
custodiar al Secretario General Mao Zedong y a su
régimen en China. Mao estaba decidido a liderar esta
revolución, que significaba limpiar a China de su
pasado y ponerla en camino hacia la utopía socialista.
Aquí, el “Guardia Rojo” ha regresado para
evaluar la
situación en el presente. Familiarizado con el estarán
el Partido Comunista -que sigue siendo el único- y el
socialismo, que sigue dominando el sistema político
del país. Él reconocerá el continuo interés
por la
Ciudad Prohibida.
Sin embargo, en lo económico, el
desarrollo se ha beneficiado de la teoría del libre
mercado del capitalismo, un gran distanciamiento del
ideal de Mao. Las actuales manifestaciones de la nueva
China, de centros comerciales y restaurantes de comida
rápida, ofrecen un extraño testimonio a este guardia
viajero del tiempo, una inconfundible visión de lo que
se ha convertido este país.
Diligente y leal, vigila
las nuevas invasiones, respetando el protocolo del
Ejército Rojo.
Vistiendo el uniforme apropiado, la
medalla de Mao, la insignia de la Guardia Roja y el
pequeño Libro Rojo con las citas de Mao, nuestro
representante histórico viaja no solo entre la
política de Beijing y las finanzas de Shanghai sino
también entre el pasado idealista y el pragmático
pero cuestionable presente.
Date of work: 2003.
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