Conclusion

This chapter addresses the question of whether the methods and agendas of the minjian avant-garde can work beyond China. The ability to move among multiple spheres could enable the minjian avant garde to succeed across national borders, but its fluidity is not without friction or peril. The chapter discusses the experiences of the Chinese minjian avant-garde, which reveal that the premises embedded in the theories of participatory, collaborative, and socially engaged art are in fact Eurocentric instead of global. The chapter emphasizes that the problematic conceptualization and usage of minjian goes beyond China as global politics in the past decade has shown that the will of the multitude is wildly unpredictable yet imminently manipulable. It cautions that an affective bond with the multitude could feel exhilarating, but such feelings could also be delusional, short-lived, or ultimately damaging to the minjian it vows to love.