HARMONIZING MULTITUDES: EXPLORING POLYPHONIC ARTISTRY IN LI ZHANYANG'S 'VENDOR: SELLING BREAD

Abstract

Polyphonic artistic thinking is a concept introduced by Mikhail Bakhtin to describe a way of thinking that allows for multiple perspectives and voices to coexist. This type of thinking is evident in both music and literature, and it can also be found in other art forms, such as performance art.

In this article, I will discuss the two-pronged characteristics of polyphonic artistic thinking: material structure and structural arrangement. I will then use these characteristics to analyze the performance artwork Li Zhanyang Vendor: Selling Bread. This performance combines two different performances (varied in layout and in items on sale), and the audience’s interactions, into a whole by using counterpoint. This gives an exemplary application of polyphonic artistic thinking in contemporary art