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2021/22 School of Chinese Research Student Seminar

相約二〇九八：當代中國大眾文化中科幻想像的宏大圖景與低迴變奏

Let’s Meet in 2098: The Grand Vision and Dark-voiced Variation of 

Science-fictional Imagination in Contemporary Chinese Popular Culture

Speaker: Miss LIU Mingyang

Date & Time: May 25, 2022 (Wed) 5:30-6:45pm

Language: Putonghua

Mode of Delivery: 100% Online (via Zoom)

Zoom Meeting Link:

https://hku.zoom.us/j/91771674507?pwd=TzZRVGFYTEwxR25lVTZYRVJreHE3UT09

Meeting ID: 917 7167 4507

Password: 963435

新千年以來，中國的科幻「新浪潮」引起了海內外學界新的研究風潮。本次演講跳出常規的科幻文學概念，聚焦少人關注的跨媒介科幻創作現象，探討「科幻性」的主題。演講將以圍繞「2098」這一時間座標，分別呈現當代中國大眾文化中科幻想像的宏大圖景與低迴變奏的兩組創作：視覺設計組圖《中國2098》和說唱專輯《2098：啟示錄》為個案，分析它們各自的未來想像——前者「大基建朋克」的宏偉圖式與後者賽博朋克的喑啞嗓音，如何表徵了當下大眾割裂的現實感知與情感結構。演講指出，這兩組跨媒介科幻創作顯示，科幻已不限於一種文學或敘事類型，而是認識和表徵世界的思維方式，並滲透在當代大眾文化中，故應對其展開跨媒介、跨學科的研究。

Since the beginning of the new century, the “new wave” of Chinese science fiction has given rise to a new wave of research. This talk goes beyond the conventional sci-fi literature studies, focusing on the less studied practice of cross-media science-fictional creation through the concept of “science-fictionality”. The two cases selected for this talk are the visual design “China 2098” and the hip-hop album “2098: The Apocalypse”, which show the grand vision and dark-voiced variation of contemporary Chinese pop culture’s science-fictionality respectively. It analyses how the former’s gigantic socialist style construction design as well as the latter’s dark cyberpunk style electronic music represent the current public’s split perception of reality and emotional structure. It posits that the two cases of cross-media science-fictional creation illustrate that science fiction is no longer limited to a literary genre or narrative form, but permeates contemporary popular culture as a way of thinking to understand and represent the world, and should therefore be studied using a cross-media and interdisciplinary approach.

ALL are welcome*

*Pre-registration (Click HERE) is requested.