Dear guests and friends,
First, on behalf of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), I’d like to thank the Ministry of Culture for the high attention and great support of the “Happy Chinese New Year: Fantastic Art China” program, and especially, Director Xie Jinying for introducing the development of “Happy Chinese New Year” and its future expansion over the years. I’d also like to thank friends from the media for coming to CAFA in the spring of 2015 and sharing information of the event.
The spring of 2015 is approaching. “Happy Chinese New Year” has provided the whole world and us Chinese an opportunity to enjoy the happiness of the Chinese New Year. Today, China has formed unprecedentedly close relations with the world. The world needs China, and China needs the world. The relation is now more and more reflected in cultural communication, exchange, dialogue, integration and appreciation. Chinese art needs the world stage, and the world art stage needs Chinese art. It is under this new situation that all social sectors, from the government to universities, hope that “Happy Chinese New Year” can spread the new fruits of creation of Chinese culture and art, and that the program can not only provide opportunities for other countries to understand China and share the Chinese New Year, but, more importantly, show the position of Chinese art in the world and its new creation and mechanism for facing the world.
On the basis of many academic surveys, the CAFA team has proposed the theme and content of “Fantastic Art China,” in New York. In overall design, as introduced by Professor Huang Jiancheng, they have first made a visual communication system design. The design is not only a logo. They’ve also considered its extension and application, which is also one of CAFA’s strong points in design. Like the efforts for the Olympic Games and the World Expo, it is not just a condensed symbol or a group of condensed symbols; but more importantly, it can be extended and become a carrier of Chinese culture, especially a carrier of cultural feelings. The reason why the arts are touching is not only because of form but also because art is a carrier of cultural feelings. The set of symbols are like snowflakes, window paper-cuts and blooming flowers in the spring, and they are also combined with traditional Chinese art forms such as paper-cut and knotting. Visually, it has rich and distinct Chinese characteristics. Therefore, it can be extended in meaning and makes people feel Chinese art images.
On the selection of artists, the artists in the exhibition have one thing in common - that is, they have been dedicated to the modern conversion of traditional art for years. The modern conversion and creative development of traditional culture is the theme of the times. These artists have explored this area for years and their works are appreciated and well-received by the world. This time, their representative works have been gathered together. I want to and I’m eager to tell you, that is, contemporary Chinese art is becoming a contemporary language by constantly absorbing, applying, integrating and innovating its own traditional resources.
To transform the creation and innovation of Chinese artists into visual results and art that can be seen, we’ve made many designs for the fireworks presentation and lighting show. The Empire State Building, as an old and classic landmark of New York, will glow with Chinese cultural elements and bring new visual experiences to the audience. In recent years, much information about China has been displayed on the large screen in Times Square, New York. The information on the screen is specific information, while the presentation of the greeting of the Chinese New Year and the connotation of Chinese culture through a lighting show is new. What we are going to do is celebrate the Chinese New Year with people from all over the world and experience the development of Chinese art and Chinese culture, to make the Chinese New Year a festival of the Chinese people and an event for the whole world to join in jubilation. Having the whole work in jubilation has always been an ideal of Chinese culture. Through our joint efforts, this will finally be realized.