Relational Governance in the New Shenzhen Miracle - mega-events in place-making

After exhibited in the Shenzhen Pavilion of Shanghai EXPO 2010, Dafen Oil Painting Village became the spotlight of the whole country, advocated as a model of new economy, but also as a creative solution to the development of (urban) villages which has been taken as pathology with the concentration of low-skilled labors and messy landscape. In fact, the Dafen village has been appropriated by a number of mega-events like ICIF and IAE to reshape the city image of Shenzhen for the economy imaginary. The new Shenzhen Miracle – the developmental package that combines Mega-events and cultural clusters – has been thereafter emulated by many cities like Beijing, Suhzou and the Western China. Behind this transformation is the restructuring state through selective coupling with selected partners that possess resources necessary for place-making. Using the Relational-Strategic Approach (RSA), I attempt to elaborate two types of structural coupling in responding to two selected strategies for place-making, namely, image branding and economic clustering. In the former process, the two interwoven vertical sectors – the propaganda and culture sector and the Governmental-NGO of CCPIT couple to construct the consent of culture-as-commodity and to shape the city image as international hub of art trading. Whilst in the latter process, picturesque landscape is introduced to reform the landscape fit for consumption space; whist the criticism on authenticity has been reworked to introduce the neoliberal principle of competitiveness to welfare provision. By examining the correspondence between strategies and coupling, I attempt to address the evolving interdependence between the governing and economic systems.