Page 132 - JCAU-6-4

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Socialist urbanism and cultural infrastructure facilities

nationalization of theaters and performance venues with present arts programs with dynamic socialist values. The
“a censoring function by calling for an inspection of the function of socialist realism, as Dobrenko (2007, p. 4)
repertoire by the authorities to make sure it was serving reminds us, is to “produce reality by aestheticizing it.”
the socialist ideal” (Senelick & Ostrovsky, 2014, p. 17). The aesthetics of socialist realism manifest in several
Space for performances and party evaluation of them forms, including spatiality, temporality, visuality, mass
is important because the dramatic arts are meant to be and weight, emotive affect, and general dynamism. The
didactic forms of entertainment. Lenin’s approach is found emotive aesthetic of socialist realism, not unlike the tenor
in Mao’s understanding of the role of theater in socialist of party discourse, is persistent positivity! The temporal
society. “Central to (Mao’s) thinking was that literature aesthetic of socialist realism is speed and acceleration.
and arts should be used for publicity in society and to Stalinist socialist production especially circulated through
educate people. The theater is, of course, the camp of the the idea and reality of increasing the speed of material
performing arts to educate people.” (Lu, 2019, p. 16). production. Its well-known historic Stakhanovite version
The PRC’s own history of international friendship was heavy (industry) and fast (zealous labor) (Dobrenko,
relations has also prioritized the construction of cultural 2007). The rapid construction of the Ten Great Buildings,
infrastructure facilities. Just as the Soviet Union advised the in the 1950s, was the outstanding national demonstration
PRC and marked the relationship with Soviet exhibition of these precepts. Similarly, the temporality of socialist
halls in major cities, the PRC’s foreign relations with Africa realism orients toward the future.
introduced projects for cultural infrastructure facilities. Architecture figures centrally in socialist realism.
China has designed government assembly halls for Ghana, Indeed, as Clark (2003, p. 4) states, “architecture, as spatial
Guinea, and Sudan (Roskam, 2015; Ding, 2023). They mark architectonics, could be seen as the quintessential genre of
the space of international exchange and show the result socialist realism.” Architectural design became “teamwork
of direct aid provided by the PRC. China’s government for socialist construction” (2003, p. 95). “Consequently,”
design institutes have also provided designs for overseas Hu (2021, p. 105) writes, “architecture was seen and
international friendship buildings (Xue & Ding, 2018). applied as a ruling instrument with the ideological
The importance of cultural infrastructure facilities representation and institutional control from the state
in the development of socialism gained international and the Party.” Designs for architectural spaces of cultural
notice. Even in 1951, a United States Office of Intelligence infrastructure, both internal and external space, would
Research report, covering eight countries, identified the undergo political scrutiny and evaluation to ensure they
proliferation of “cultural facilities” in the communist bloc. embodied characteristics conducive to advancing party-
It identifies how cultural facilities are “directly connected state goals and ideals.
with the life of the laboring people,” serving as places of Socialist realism in architectural space should
“mass participation…in all phases of cultural activity” symbolize a “higher-order space” that mediates between
(U.S. Department of State, 1951, p. 182). Mao’s platform correct ideology and the people, who are to be renewed
made culture and education “national, scientific, and and inspired by exposure to and experience in cultural
widespread” with the development of “press, radio, facilities. The architectural space of cultural facilities thus
literature, art, drama, and cinema” that would promote must be uplifting and dignified, inspiring yet controlled.
“political consciousness” (U.S. Department of State, 1951, It must be sufficiently sophisticated, striving for “political
p. 159). The role of cultural facilities in housing and cohesion” that can enfold the intelligentsia and elites
advancing socialism was apparent during the Cold War. on the “ideological front” (Senelick & Ostrovsky, 2014,
p. 350). The built environment of cultural facilities should
3. The urban aesthetics of socialist realism represent the aesthetics of power and resonate with those
At the crux of the material and social construction of who have it and aspire to it.
culture, the philosophy of socialist realism has guided A high-profile cultural infrastructure facility in the
aesthetic standards. Socialist realism’s theoretical PRC “is first and foremost a political project…governed
sphere treats culture and the arts in general as spheres by political motivations” (Lu, 2019, p. 16), rather than
of production for didactic works that shape social commercial factors. The spatial politics of cultural
consciousness. Arriving in China with the “Learning infrastructure are significant across multiple scales,
from the Soviet Union” (向苏联学习) campaign, socialist from the interior exhibition or performance space to the
realism “demanded all work in the creative arts be ‘socialist design of the edifice and its site context. The national
in content and national in form.’” (Fan, 2011, p. 96) Cultural model for urban site context is arguably in Beijing, on
infrastructure facilities, ever functional, would house and Chang’an Avenue, the city’s east-west central artery, where

Volume 6 Issue 4 (2024) 5 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1995