Long March lecture at Tsinghua University Inter-University Program for Language Studies

March 27, 2003
Tsinghua University, Beijing

TheAt the invitation of his alma mater, the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua, Long March associate curator and 25000 Cultural Transmission Center deputy artistic director Philip Tinari delivered a presentation on the Long March art foundation and its work on March 27.

The lecture, which was attended by approximately 25 students and faculty from this, the premiere U.S.-sponsored language program in China, discussed the genesis and progress of the Long March: A Walking Visual Display, as well as the Long March's work in Beijing. While the format was the standard two-hour site-by-site Powerpoint overview, the historical and political context of the IUP added an element of significance.

IUP, formerly known as the Stanford Center, was founded in Taipei in 1963. Several generations of Cold War-era American Sinologists-at that time unable to visit mainland "Red" China-received their Mandarin training in its signature one-on-one drill classes. As Sino-U.S. relations warmed in the 80s and 90s, the program prepared to move to Beijing, and in 1997 landed at Tsinghua-the alma mater of the current Communist Party secretary and president Hu Jintao. Tsinghua, along with the technocrats it cultivates, has become a key element in the equilibrium of Communist Party power first established during the tortuous years of the historical Long March on which the project is based.

On a more personal level, IUP-Tsinghua maintains a deep connection with the Long March. Tinari is one of three Long Marchers to have studied there; the other two are former director of international communications Lisa Horikawa and on-road participant Megan Connolly. As an art program with an international commitment, the Long March relies on the work of these Mandarin-proficient non-Chinese curatorial and administrative staff just as it looks for the contributions of international artists.

Tinari delivered his presentation entirely in Chinese, as per the program's regulation that only Mandarin be spoken on its premises. The audience included several of the teachers with whom he studied the language as a Fulbright fellow during the 2001-2002 academic year. The presentation generated interest in the project, and found new collaborators among this key group of young American intellectuals.

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