[Lecture 1] Popularization of Chinese Art in the 20th Century and the Heights of Fine Arts

Lecturer: Prof. Chen Chiyu (Tsinghua University)

Date: April 20, 2025 (Sunday)

Time: 8:30-10:00 a.m.

Venue: Conference Room, Third Floor, Building of Arts

Introduction to the Lecture: One of the most important achievements and characteristics of Chinese art in the 20th century is the turn towards art popularization. From the art reform and the concept of civilian art emerging in the New Culture Movement, to the proposal at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art that literature and art should serve the masses, it has promoted the social movement of art and the rapid development of anti-Japanese war woodblock prints, establishing the heights of woodblock print art. In the early days of New China, in order to reflect the new socialist life, New Year pictures and comic strips were vigorously developed, achieving unprecedented prosperity. There was a creative upsurge in New Year pictures and comic strips, achieving brilliant achievements, creating the miracle of mass art in New China, and forming a new height of fine arts in New China. Oil paintings in depicting major revolutionary historical themes, traditional Chinese paintings in shaping new images of workers and peasants, the “National Founding Porcelain” in arts and crafts, the pattern decoration in the Great Hall of the People, and the murals in Beijing Capital International Airport are all masterpieces at the heights of fine arts in New China, possessing distinct characteristics of the times and national characteristics, and serving as benchmarks for the breakthrough achievements of fine arts in New China, greatly promoting the development of contemporary Chinese fine arts. This lecture will adopt the method of combining theoretical elaboration with the image analysis of classic works of woodblock prints, New Year pictures, traditional Chinese paintings, and oil paintings.

Introduction to the Speaker: Chen Chiyu is the Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Tsinghua University, Distinguished Professor at Capital Normal University, and President of the Art Criticism Professional Committee of the Chinese Society for the Theory of Art. He is also the Deputy Director of the Exhibition Curation Committee of the Art Museum of Tsinghua University, Editor-in-Chief of the journal Chinese Art Studies of Tsinghua University and Associate Editor-in-Chief of Art and Science.

[Lecture 2] Exploring the Origin of Art through Rock Images at Archaeological Sites: A Case Study of the Shizitan Rock Images

Lecturer: Prof. Li Beilei ( Dalian University)

Date: April 20, 2025 (Sunday)

Time: 10:00-10:30 a.m.

Venue: Conference Room, Third Floor, Building of Arts

Introduction to the Lecture: Regarding the “rock drawings” discovered at the Shizitan site in Ji County, Linfen, Shanxi Province, there are different views and interpretations in the academic community. One view holds that the “human deity” in the drawing is raising a rod with bent elbows, representing “measuring the shadow by erecting a rod”, negating statements such as “reproductive worship”. This line of thinking is undoubtedly a reasonable interpretation. On this basis, it is further inferred that the seven arc-shaped dots at the top of the image should be the “Big Dipper”, implying “Gaitian” (an ancient Chinese theory of the universe) and the “Big Dipper”. Since the number 7 in the sky represents “Qian” (Yang in the Book of Changes), and the upper body of the “human deity” is painted solid, which also belongs to “Yang”; the “inverted trapezoid” formed by the six dots on the ground is the “observatory”, “shadow-measuring platform” or the “Kan” for observing the moon, and the number 6 on the ground represents “Yin” and “Kun” (Yin in the Book of Changes), and the lower body (legs) of the “human deity” is outlined empty, representing “emptiness”. The entire “rock drawing” constitutes the cosmic concept of the Yin and Yang of heaven and earth. Heaven, earth, and Yin and Yang converge on the “human deity”, forming the cosmic relationship among heaven, earth, and human beings. The “human deity” in the drawing should be the “Heavenly Official” observing the celestial phenomena, so it can be called the “Picture of the Heavenly Official”. The origin of civilization and art lies in ancient astronomy. It can be seen that it is grounded to include those proficient in astronomy and the Book of Changes in the “Biographies of Arts” in the “Twenty-Six Histories”, which also reveals the original connotation of Chinese art.

Introduction to the Speaker: Li Beilei is the former Professor and Dean of the Art Research Institute of Dalian University. He was engaged in oil painting creation, research on art history and art theory. He was also a member of the China Artists Association, Executive Vice Chairman of the National Postgraduate Education Alliance of Art, etc.

[Lecture 3] Centennial Dissemination Path of Art Studies in China

Lecturer: Prof. Xia Yanjing (Nanjing University of the Arts)

Date: April 20, 2025 (Sunday)

Time: 9:00-11:00 a.m.

Venue: Lecture Hall, First Floor, West Campus Library

Introduction to the Lecture: As is commonly recognized, “Chinese art studies”, as the name implies, should highlight the Chinese characteristics of academic self-confidence to show the academic research and the theoretical path of “Sinicization” in discipline construction. In other words, the formation of Chinese art studies is not just the result of the introduction of Western learning in modern times, nor is it just the emergence of academic research and disciplinary awareness. Its academic research and disciplinary construction are not all derivatives of foreign academic thoughts. Examining its formation and development path, it can be said to be the result of the integration of Chinese and Western academic studies. In summary, it is roughly the confluence of three aspects, that is, the interweaving, integration, development, and dissemination of classical Chinese art theory, Western art studies, and Chinese modern and contemporary art studies, which constitute the “Sinicization” development process of Chinese art studies.

In this regard, we need to recognize that, on the one hand, we need to recognize the existence value of classical Chinese art theory and use it to construct a knowledge system and academic system of Chinese art studies with the characteristics of classical inheritance; on the other hand, we need to clarify the development context of “Sinicizing Western learning”, stringing together the coordinates of the main cognitive orientation of Chinese art studies with the clues of the changes of the times; on the third hand, we need to adhere to the subjectivity and dominance of Chinese modern and contemporary art studies itself, combining the basic principles of Western learning with China’s specific reality and excellent traditional art culture, making it the inevitable path of development. The central idea of these three aspects combined is to reflect Chinese characteristics, emphasize the construction of the “three major systems” of academic studies, disciplines, and discourses with Chinese characteristics, form an equal dialogue with Western learning, and move towards a pluralistic future of communication and integration.

Introduction to the Speaker: Xia Yanjing is the Doctor of Art, Distinguished Professor, and Supervisor of Doctoral Candidatesat the School of Humanities, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He concurrently serves as a member of the 7th and 8th Disciplinary Appraisal Groups of Art Studies of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, an expert member of the Review Committee of Key Textbooks of the Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project of the Ministry of Education, etc. His main research directions: art history and art historiography, classical art literature and theory, and art education research.

Source: NYNU Academic Activities (Chinese)

https://www.nynu.edu.cn/info/1048/29623.htm