Note: The talk by Sangseraima Ujeed, originally scheduled for February 8, 2022, will be rescheduled for a different date.

Beijing’s 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies still boast the largest live audience in history: a TV crowd of some 2 billion people. This also makes the event one of the most widely misunderstood pieces of political theater in our time. Drawing from his shifting career as international laureate and state artist, director Zhang Yimou put together a double act for a double audience. In this discussion with Ann Lin, LRCCS Director, Dr. Osgood will discuss the legacy of Zhang Yimou’s historic show and the significance of its 2022 sequel.

Registration for this Zoom webinar is here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PmIUlkESQLKdLgqTFwregQ

Miles Osgood is a Lecturer at Stanford University whose research focuses on the intersections between international sports, world literature, and the arts. His work on the Olympics has appeared in The Washington Post, n+1, and Public Books, with an article forthcoming in Modernism/modernity. He is currently writing a book about the Cultural Olympiad of 1968 in Mexico City, provisionally titled The Artist’s Torch. His recent article about the 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony appeared in Slate: https://slate.com/culture/2022/02/2008-beijing-olympics-opening-ceremony-zhang-yimou-meaning.html