Od wielkiego przywódcy do produktu popkultury. Dekonstrukcja kultu Mao Zedonga w kulturze pamięci
From Great Leader to Pop-Culture Product. Deconstructing the Cult of Mao Zedong in Memory Culture

Summary/Abstract: The legacy of Mao Zedong—the founder of the People’s Republic of China and the architect of the revolutionary ideology of Maoism—has remained a subject of academic, social, and artistic debate for decades. The cult of personality that intensified during the Cultural Revolution (1966– 1976), along with Mao’s continued presence in public and symbolic spaces, exemplifies the notion of dissonant or difficult heritage. Contemporary Chinese society, the PRC authorities, and cultural creators continue to negotiate how Mao’s memory functions within national and cultural discourse. This article examines visual representations of Mao Zedong in the context of collective memory and difficult heritage, considering both official propaganda and artistic practices. The key research questions address how Mao’s iconic image has been and continues to be used in public and artistic spheres, what reinterpretative and critical strategies are employed by contemporary artists, and how the leader’s image shapes collective memory and identity narratives in modern China. The first part of the article outlines the historical foundations of Mao’s personality cult, including his sacralization through propaganda, poster aesthetics, and everyday rituals during the Cultural Revolution, when Mao came to resemble a divine figure in the Chinese collective imagination. The second part discusses post-1976 political strategies aimed at preserving Mao’s positive image while distancing the state from the most controversial aspects of his rule. The final sections focus on selected contemporary reinterpretations of Mao’s image in Chinese art and global pop culture. Works by artists such as Zhang Hongtu, the Gao Brothers, Sheng Qi, Li Shan, and Wang Ziwei reveal diverse methods of deconstructing the Mao myth—from irony and aesthetic pastiche to personal acts of resistance against ideological violence. Meanwhile, pop cultural representations—like Andy Warhol’s silkscreen prints or Vivienne Tam’s fashion collection—demonstrate Mao’s transformation into a global icon stripped of historical context. In conclusion, the legacy of Mao Zedong is presented as a dynamic field of tension between official memory politics, individual experience, and artistic expression. The image of Mao remains a lasting element of China’s symbolic landscape, yet it is increasingly subject to aesthetic and political renegotiation. As such, this problematic heritage offers a framework for reflecting on the role of art in commemorating traumatic pasts and managing societal dissonance within the culture of memory.

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