Searching for the agora at K11: apolitical spaces of non-state cultural diplomacy

Abstract

Situated within the evolving theoretical discourse on non-state cultural diplomacy, this article examines the unique spatial politics of corporate-led cultural exchange in a non-democratic context through an analysis of China’s K11 Art Malls—hybrid “retail-oriented museums” that fuse contemporary art exhibitions with luxury shopping, dining, and entertainment. As the first study to systematically analyze the spatial dimensions of non-state cultural diplomacy within an authoritarian environment, it investigates how K11 utilizes its hybrid art-retail spaces to perform a strategically depoliticized form of international engagement. The article employs a three-dimensional framework—conceptualizi..