Narrative strategy of "Red China" exhibitions:
on the example of the exhibition celebrating the centenary of the founding of the communist party of China

Yui Vei Applicant, Department of Art History and Pedagogy of Art, A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University 330022, Russia, Saint Petersburg, nab. Sinks, K. 6, 48, of. 51 395666095@qq.com

The narrative of the exhibitions on the theme of "red China"

"Narratology" is a borrowed concept, which in the meaning of a scientific discipline originated in the 1960s in France ^{[5, p. 3]}. In 1969, the French semiotic Tsvetan Todorov in the book "Grammar of the Decameron" suggested that narratology is the science of epic works ^[2]. The development of narratology took place in two stages – classical and postclassical. Classical narratology, relying on structuralist linguistics, generalized the principles of universal narrative grammar. Postclassical narratology was formed as a result of a shift in the perspective of research from grammar to narrative semantics, that is, solving the issue of narrative references and how exactly the story should be told. The narrative has become ubiquitous, including film and TV narratives, news, medical, exposition narratives, etc. Postclassical narratology has moved into an interdisciplinary and multimedia "integrated" dimension of research.  

The basis of the exhibition narrative is the space in which the environment necessary for the presentation of the storyline of the narrated story is created and various elements such as text, paintings, sculptures, scenes, etc. are combined.

The physical space, rationally organized on the basis of a certain cultural logic and using effective means of expression, allows the audience present in it to feel the plot of the narrative and comprehend it. This is the deep meaning of the narrative exhibition space. Exhibitions on the theme of "Red China" are widely distributed in historical, memorial museums and other places where conditions have been created to demonstrate the storyline of the narrated story. They introduce the audience into the space-time frame of the narrative with the help of thematic, expressive and plot-related design techniques.

Currently, the content and form of exhibitions in honor of revolutionary events have two features. Firstly, the structure of the content is often constructed in the form of a "chronicle" of historical events in a time sequence. The content, as a rule, is a reflection of abstract concepts and global concepts without details, current interpretation and historical references, the exhibition rather looks like a "textbook hanging on the wall". Secondly, it is possible to note the static nature and unification of the exposure format, which boils down to the formula "cultural relic + photography" ^[7]. That is why orthodoxy and innovativeness should become new directions for the development of exhibition activities on the "red" theme, where "orthodoxy" means the thematic, political and principled nature of exhibitions, and "innovativeness" means diversity, diversification and originality of exhibition forms. It is necessary to avoid the tendency to homogenization and uniformity, strive to achieve the interaction of space, information, technology, art and audience, as well as to increase the attractiveness, harmony and practical effectiveness of exhibitions.

Narrative structure of exhibitions on the theme of "Red China"

The narrative structure of the exhibitions on the theme of "Red China" includes such forms of narrative as linear, comparative and fractal narrative. In honor of the celebration of the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, together with the State Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, published a list of 109 recommended exhibitions with exclusive exhibits dedicated to the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Leading in the narrative structure of the exhibitions is the form of linear and comparative narrative, the content and meaning of which is subordinated to the theme of the "red culture" of China.

The linear narrative finds its theoretical justification in the rule of the "plot triangle" developed by the theorist of the art of writing screenplays Robert McKee ^[1]. Linear narrative refers to the presentation of events in chronological order, thanks to which viewers can get acquainted with the narrated story in a time sequence, regardless of the presence of references to the past. The nonlinear narrative assumes the free movement of the storyline in time space, as a result of which the temporal sequence is violated, to the point that the audience cannot understand which events were before and which were after ^[5]. 

Historical exhibitions, as a rule, adhere to the chronological order of the linear narrative, they combine into a single sequence the key events characteristic of each historical period in strict accordance with the criteria of politicization, historicity and authenticity. The thematic exhibition "The Centenary of the Communist Party of China" tells about the centenary history of the CPC, its heroes and great achievements in eventful years. General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping stressed that the exhibition on the history of the CPC should strengthen the key theme broadcast in the exhibition, and the principle of "loyalty to the original aspirations and the fundamental mission of the party" ^{[4, p. 42]} should run a red line through the entire narrative.

On May 5, 2021, the construction of the exhibition hall of the history of the Communist Party of China, which is a spiritual fortress of the history of the struggle of the party, was officially completed. The exhibition is designed and decorated in accordance with the chronology of historical achievements that allowed the Chinese nation to "stand on its feet, get rich and become strong."

The four sculptural compositions "Faith", "Great Achievements", "Breakthrough" and "Following the Dream" correspond to the doctrine of the "four greatnesses". 276 figures fused together with 583 pieces of white marble tell the story of the CCP's century-long struggle for the welfare of the Chinese people and national revival. Through more than 2,500 photographs and 4,500 cultural relics, with the help of representative, convincing exhibition elements and illustrative design of historical facts, the dissemination of knowledge about the history of the party and the recognition of its value is carried out.

Lun Diyun in the "Study of Spatial Narrative" put forward the following statement: "Starting from the transformation of politics and up to the particularly slow pace of the development of material culture, the levels of analysis are becoming more and more diverse. Each level is characterized by a unique fault, and each level has its own division; the closer people get to the deepest level, the greater the fault will be" ^{[3, p. 56]}. A simple linear narrative cannot correspond to a deeper structure of people's knowledge. Due to the intertwining of different space-time realities in the content, the effect of an interconnected narrative is achieved, leading viewers to deep reflections.

The exhibition "The Red Cradle – the Revolutionary History of Jiangxi" was opened in the Museum of Jiangxi Province. In the context of the uniqueness and unique features of the region itself, the exhibition demonstrates the greatness of the spirit of Jingangshan, the central Soviet regions and the strength of the great campaign through descriptions of the miners' strike in Anyuan, the Nanchang uprising, the "Autumn Harvest" uprising, the revolutionary support base in Jingangshan, etc.

Eight sections "Dawn of Dawn", "Raising the military banner", "Burning steppe fire", "Red China", "To the last drop of blood", "War of Resistance to Japanese invaders", "Long-awaited liberation", "Mountain flowers in full bloom" tell about the great sacrifices and great contribution of sons and daughters Jiangxi in the victory of the Chinese Revolution.

Storytelling medium in exhibitions on the theme of "Red China"

The narrative of exhibitions on the theme of "red China" is divided into macronarrative, mesonarrative and micronarrative. Macronarrative refers to the general layout and division of space, the design of the exhibition row.   

Compliance with the principles of Chinese landscape design – a scrupulous attitude to details, a variety of alternating species, winding paths leading to secluded places and many other techniques, allows you to create a virtual space through which the narrative of the "red" exhibition is revealed, the historical context of the events described is recreated and a sense of personal presence is born. A mesonarrative is the structure and form of a narrative. The mesonarrative uses forms of linear or nonlinear narration, dialogue or presentation, it can be unified, unified, or, conversely, differ in a unique originality ^[6]. For example, an exhibition "The Red Cradle – the Revolutionary History of Jiangxi" was opened in the Museum of Jiangxi Province, revealing the peculiarities of the region and, at the same time, telling about the history of the party. The essence of the macronarrative is to create a variety of narrative scenes, enhance and change the methods and techniques of expressiveness with the help of color, lighting, multimedia, explanations and other means.

For example, in the exhibition halls of the Jinggangshan Revolution Museum, shades of bright red predominate. Red in China symbolizes happiness and good omen, and also has a "revolutionary" meaning. It embodies the spirit of the "red culture" of China, has a rich historical and cultural content and is revealed in a wide variety of symbolic meanings. Therefore, red lanterns are used in the museum to create a revolutionary atmosphere, create a strong visual color effect on the audience and better interpret the narrative context of the history of the Chinese Revolution.

The lobby of the exhibition hall is a transitional space that allows the audience to move from the outer to the inner space of the exhibition, to pave the way for the exhibition to "tell about itself on its own". For example, the lobby of the Museum of Jiangxi Province already makes a strong visual impression on visitors at the entrance. The first element of the exhibition that stands out sharply against the general background is the color that immerses the audience in a certain context. In the lobby of the exhibition hall "Red Cradle" there is a vertical wall decorated in a "red" revolutionary theme. On both sides of the wall there are bas-reliefs depicting scenes of a heroic battle of soldiers. On the ceiling there are five–pointed red stars, and on the floor there is a chronological tape of the events described. Thanks to the colorful, meaningful design and the use of red as the main color, the lobby of the exhibition hall attracts visitors and at the same time demonstrates a high decorative value.

Conclusion

As part of the celebration of the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, museums and art galleries located around the world played an important role in spreading advanced cultural achievements. They took on social responsibility, becoming the arena of educational activities, and held hundreds of exhibitions on the theme of "red China", a characteristic feature of which was a combination of elaboration of the subject, narrow specialization and artistry.

Exhibitions on the theme of "red China" are historical exhibitions that, using a chronological approach in the presentation of the material, tell about historical figures and heroic deeds throughout the century–long history of the Communist Party of China, preserve the memory of the "red revolution" and inherit the "red culture". When organizing "red" exhibitions, both linguistic and non-verbal means are used, as well as methods of linear and comparative narration to build a spatial narrative with a communicative function. In exhibitions on the theme of "Red China", a variety of structures, means and storytelling media are used, a special media space with vivid narrative expressiveness and a variety of displayed content is being created, the viewer's perception is being reconstructed, the audience's perception is being reconstructed, a broader view of the past, present and future is being offered. In accordance with the new needs caused by the development of time and society, the number of highly specialized exhibitions is steadily growing, opening up new ways to present the history of China, as well as the inheritance and dissemination of the voice of China.