ABSTRACT

Taking ‘underground(s)’ as the conceptual point of departure, the authors in this Special Issue investigate the socio-political, cultural and ideological dynamics of ‘cultural undergrounds’ across cities in East and Southeast Asia. Through critical analysis of changing conditions, frameworks, (mis)representations and self- and counter-definitions, we seek to build towards a timely interdisciplinary discourse. Can ‘underground(s)’ survive, given that they are surrounded by an instrumentalization and institutionalization of arts and culture, by policing and surveillance, (self-)censorship, and a growing privatization and aestheticization of the urban environment? What kind of symbolic, political and societal value do ‘underground(s)’ have in such circumstances? Why would someone prefer to be considered as a representative of the undergrounds? While addressing these emergent questions, we acknowledge the theoretical and methodological challenges of fluid phenomena characterized by a vast range of cultural production. Hence, we share the aspiration to encourage further locally-embedded comparative and interdisciplinary research that contributes to more nuanced international discussions about cultural undergrounds. Drawing from our in-depth case studies on films and documentaries, music, literature, contemporary art and their interconnectedness, we highlight the importance of socio-historical interrelations, gender, queer identities, aesthetic strategies, translocality, intermedia practices, (a)political self-positioning and spatial adjustments in the urban environment.

摘要

本期特刊以“地下”为出发点，研究了东亚和东南亚城市中“文化地下”的社会政治，文化和意识形态动态。通过对不断变化的条件，框架，（错误）表述以及自我定义和反定义的批判性分析，我们寻求朝着及时的跨学科话语迈进。鉴于“地下”能够被艺术和文化的工具化和制度化，治安和监督，（自我）审查以及城市环境的日益私有化和美化所包围，它们能否生存？什么样的象征 在这种情况下，“地下”具有政治和社会价值吗？为什么有人更愿意被视为地下代表？在解决这些新出现的问题时，我们承认以广泛的文化生产为特征的流体现象的理论和方法挑战。因此，我们有共同的愿望，鼓励进一步开展本地嵌入式的比较和跨学科研究，这有助于对文化地下世界进行更为细致入微的国际讨论。根据我们对电影和纪录片，音乐，文学，当代艺术及其相互联系的深入案例研究，我们强调了社会历史联系，性别，同志身份，美学策略，跨地域性，跨媒体实践，