This event has ended
This student-curated exhibition is a derivative of the "Telepathy – Xu Bing's Graduate Student Series Exhibition." Focusing on current students, it emphasizes the presentation of their thought processes during creation, showcasing work samples, studio notes, and experimental traces from the creative journey. The aim is to reflect the sensitive, vibrant, and ongoing state of these young artists.
It must be acknowledged that their works are still maturing, with a long road of artistic exploration ahead—a path that neither individuals nor art history can prescribe. In today's art world, where contemporary art remains difficult to judge, each person situated within the current social context is a unique case. This very uncertainty is what drives me and the students to work with full dedication.
The essence of our work is captured in a passage from the preface of the first "Telepathy" exhibition:
At its core, the artistic creation process is a confrontation where each creator uses art to grapple with their own character and inner self. Established artistic methods and styles seem "overwhelmingly powerful," and textbooks dictate what good art should be. Yet, the deeper, individual part within stirs, declaring: I am me, the real me is here. The master's "grammar" is excellent, but what it expresses is not what I want to say. Sometimes it's just a tiny difference, or it becomes completely distorted.
We search, compare, mix, and experiment with techniques from past learning experiences, exhibitions, art books, the internet, and peers, hoping someone's approach might resonate with us. It's a bit like buying shoes in a supermarket—none fit perfectly. Perhaps we need to start searching again from the very origin of human shoemaking history—the era of straw sandals. That still doesn't work; its developmental logic is too coherent, clear, and leaves no gaps to exploit. The only opportunity seems to be starting from the barefoot era. Indeed, only when there is no preconceived concept of "shoes" can Buddha appear. This phrase is borrowed from a Zen saying...
These are the very things I discuss with the students regarding artistic creation.
What art education should leave learners with is an elevation in human quality. As I have said before: "In the process of teaching and learning, through appreciating the subtleties of each work and exchanging feelings in small matters, we transform from rough individuals into refined ones—people who are disciplined, understand working methods, and can discern the finest details in the relationship between the whole and its parts. It equips students with a quality essential for any field: the ability to penetrate, accommodate, and digest various cultural phenomena, along with executive capability. Ultimately, it addresses the fundamental issue of one's caliber as a human being." Therefore, I hope for them: regardless of whether they pursue art in the future, they should be outstanding and creative in any field.
Special thanks are extended to the Macao Foundation, the Macao Science and Culture Centre, and the Art for All Society for their support, as well as to all individuals who contributed to the realization of this exhibition.
Art Exhibitions
