Reimagining the Past in the Construction of the Present: Visuality in Neo-traditional Guqin Performances in Twenty-First-Century China

Abstract: Visual elements have always been an integral concern in performance of the Chinese seven-string zither guqin , as seen in both early records and contemporary practice. Since the mid-2010s, a neo-traditional guqin performance group, Zi De Qinshe ( Zi De meaning “enjoy oneself”; Qinshe meaning “guqin studio”), has been a leader in a cultural trend known as guofeng (Chinese style) and guochao (China chic) with their viral online videos and live performances featuring stage settings, clothing, and makeup that re-create paintings and other visual images from past centuries. In this essay, I focus on Zi De Qinshe as a case study based on fieldwork with the group and their audiences as well as analysis of their performances. I explore how and why contemporary Chinese musicians reinterpret and reimagine the past through visuality in performance, how they negotiate the old and the new, and how a neo-tradition and a neo-cultural identity are being constructed in this process. 摘要: 无论是在历史文献还是当代实践中，视觉元素一直是古琴演奏的题中之义。自2010 年代中期以来，新传统古琴表演团体自得琴社以其火爆的网络视频和现场表演，成 为当代“国风”/“国潮”文化潮流的引领者。他们的舞台布置、服饰及妆容复原了古 代绘画或其它史料中的视觉元素。在本文中，笔者以自得琴社为研究案例，基于对琴 社及其受众的田野考察，以及对他们表演作品的分析，探讨当代中国音乐人如何及 为何通过表演中的视觉性对过去进行重新解读和构想，探讨他们如何在新旧之间权 衡，以及在此过程中新的传统和文化身份是如何构建起来的。