The Confucius Institute and Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, both at the University of Michigan, host the art exhibition “Chinese Now: Contemporary Portraits” presented by 31 faculty members from the School of Arts, Renmin University of China.
The exhibit is presented Nov. 15-Dec. 21 at Work•Ann Arbor. A related symposium is from 1-5:45 p.m. in the Michigan League Michigan Room. Faculty from Renmin University of China and U-M will discuss various topics of contemporary art in China.
Tang Keyang, associate professor, Renmin University, says that in the exhibit, the people of China are brought to life through the vision of the artists. “Freed from the limitations of a single concept, style, image or form, the only thing the Chinese people represented here have in common is a disregard for the stereotypes long associated with them,” he says.
The exhibit seeks to establish the cultural sensibilities of contemporary China. Professor Leo Ou-fan Lee says engagement with these cultural sensibilities allows an audience to grasp “certain core feelings, the stuff which moves us,” so inherent in the drama of life. He says the hope is that an understanding of these core feelings will form the basis for meaningful intercultural dialogue.
