Alternativeness and everydayness of independent cultural initiatives in Guangzhou: Imaginary manifestos in the making

This article investigates how the concept of alternativeness has been received in studies of Chinese independent art spaces in the past three decades and how it is interrogated in the broader sociological literature. The article then reflects on the characteristics of recent alternative practices at the level of both cultural production and community and highlights their distinct feature of everydayness. Through an analysis of self-narrations and self-publications, the article discusses how alternativeness is elaborated and theorized and how it leads to imaginary social manifestos. While diversity exists in the discourse of being alternative, there is a lack of voices and attention on the interests of women and gender minorities in this narrative-making. The article then discusses how the narratives of alternativeness can be related to the public discourse and to encounters with different approaches towards narratives, such as those of independent art communities, anarchists, and revolutionists.