CHINA PULSE

 

In the school anthem of Tsinghua University, a line stands out, "Prioritize the acquisition of knowledge and skills, actively participate in cultural and artistic endeavors, uphold moral values through actions, and champion an open and inclusive mindset that knows no bounds." This verse draws its roots from two historical sources. Firstly, in the book New Book of Tang, Pei Xingjian's Biography states, "A scholar's aspirations are boundless. They begin by acquiring skills and knowledge, followed by embracing culture and arts." Secondly, the book Zuo Zhuan, the 24-Year Rule of Duke Xiang of Song, states, "Virtue is paramount, deeds hold great importance, and words complement one's character and actions at a lower tier." These words serve as an inspiration for young students, stressing the significance of acquiring knowledge but also nurturing one's character. Furthermore, it advocates for a broadened perspective that transcends Western and Eastern academic boundaries, fostering inclusivity and promoting the courage to explore and innovate. This exhibition borrows the phrase "no bounds" from the essence of Tsinghua University's spirit. It takes a retrospective look at the 30-year journey of photographic education at the Academy of Arts and Design, highlighting its continuous quest for excellence.

 

The college's journey in photography education began in 1991 during the Central Academy of Arts and Design era. It took shape as a Photography Teaching and Research Centre and responded to the demands of the time by organizing multiple photography training courses. In November 1999, the Central Academy of Arts and Design merged with Tsinghua University, adopting the new name of Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts and Design. This marked the beginning of a fresh development phase within a comprehensive university. Fast forward to 2005, and the Department of Information Art and Design was formally established. It introduced three major disciplines: Information Art and Design, Animation, and Photography. 2010 saw another crucial milestone when the college admitted undergraduate students majoring in photography. Subsequently, it has evolved into a distinguished Chinese university offering a comprehensive education system for photography at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels. Leveraging Tsinghua University's interdisciplinary strengths, the college has made "Art and Science Integration" a cornerstone of its teaching approach. While preserving traditional film photography and classical craftsmanship fundamentals, the photography program has also championed cross-disciplinary collaboration, distinguishing itself in the process. From 2017 to the present, seven students have received the China National Art Fund Young Artistic Creative Talent Funding Project. Additionally, two students have earned the "Jimei x Arles Discovery Award", while two others have been honored with The TOP 20 Chinese Cutting-Edge Contemporary Photography Exhibition, among other notable domestic and international accolades. In recent years, Tsinghua University's photography program has consistently ranked among the top Chinese universities, as reflected in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by subjects.

 

When reflecting on the history of world photography art spanning nearly two centuries, it's clear that this narrative has evolved atop a foundation of continuous innovation in art, technology, and culture. Today, photographic art has expanded to encompass a broader range of technological methods and conceptual interpretations. Following the waves of post-modernism and the advent of digital technology, scholar William J. Mitchell once remarked, "Photography is dead, or rather, it has been entirely replaced by digital image production." This suggests that photography has moved beyond its symbolic, indicative role, breaking free from the necessity of image creation solely through "light drawing" and shedding its exclusive identity as a documentary medium. The central query within photographic art has transitioned from "what photography should be" to "what else photography can be." Much like the proclamation by French artist Paul Delaroche in 1839 when photography was born, "From this day forward, painting is dead!" In 2023, AICG images have transformed into digital entities, rapidly increasing worldwide through their mutations. Digital copies are now on track to displace mechanical replication, as described by Benjamin. The Pandora's box of future imagery has been opened. Amid humanity's explosive consumption of digital images, photography education must also contemplate how to adapt and respond effectively to this new landscape.

 

The exhibition is divided into two segments, "Documentation and Presentation" and "Fiction and Experimentation." The "Documentation and Presentation" section focuses on harnessing the power of straight photography, aiming to create images that "speak to the heart." This approach aligns with the ideals of Alfred Stieglitz, who emphasized the need to consider photography's inherent rules and characteristics, ultimately seeking to purify and refine the medium while expressing individual personality. Conversely, the "Fiction and Experimentation" section demonstrates that photography can break free from established aesthetic norms. In this context, it doesn't necessarily serve the role of eliciting aesthetic pleasure. Instead, these works aim to provide a space for contemplation. Artists continuously expand the content and scope of photographic art through techniques such as role-playing, alteration, appropriation, modeling, AICG, and more. This showcases the diverse development of photography within the context of contemporary art.

Born in Inner Mongolia, China in 1985. He earned his BA from Beijing Film Academy (2004-2008), MFA from Nihon University College of Art (2013-2015, Dissertation Supervisor: Prof. Naohisa Hara) and PhD from Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (2017-2022, Dissertation Supervisor: Prof. Feng Jianguo). He has been a lecturer at College of Holistic Education, Beijing University of Technology since 2022.

 

Degjinhuu’s participation in exhibitions includes the 1st Country Road Chinese Ethnic Minority Photographer Prize Shortlisted Works Exhibition, the 8th PhotoChina Original International Photography Exhibition, and the Lianzhou Foto Festival 11th Edition Exhibition, all in 2015. In 2017, Degjinhuu's artistic work found a place at the Lishui Photography Festival and the Xishuangbanna Foto Festival. In 2016, he received the China National Arts Fund for Young Art Talent Funding Project. In subsequent years, his works secured the 1st Inter Art Center New Documentaries Prize in 2017 and the China National Arts Fund for Young Artistic Creation Talents (Fine Arts) Rolling Funding in 2018. In addition, his works have found a home in institutions such as the Nihon University College of Art and the Inter Art Center / Inter Gallery.

Gao Yuan, a mainland Chinese photographer, writer, jewelry designer, and ceramist, is one of the most legendary female photographers of her time. Recognized in the rock circle, the name, Gao Yuan, carries a certain iconic significance. She was once the youthful girl holding a camera in the music video Lian Lian Feng Chen by Lao Lang. She has also been a leading figure in the rock music industry, hailed as the youngest and most talented female photographer.

 

Gao Yuan's camera has captured nearly every significant event and personality in Chinese rock music since the last century. To this day, her passion for music and photography remains unwavering. To some extent, her photography bears witness to the history of rock music in China during this period. For Gao Yuan, photography is etched into her bones, constituting a lifelong spiritual treasure.

 

Notable works: Singing With My Youth, Hong Kan 1994, Let's Play One More Time, The World.

Exhibitions: Flash Memory, Natural Growth, Singing With My Youth, Look Back into the Sun.

Huang Qiujie was born in 1992 in Hunan Province. She studied in the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University from 2016-2019, where she received her master's degree in photography. From 2020 to the present, she continues to pursue her Ph.D in photography. She studied under Prof. Feng Jianguo. Her works have long focused on the relationship between people, society as well as the environment in the present time of the Yellow River.

She was shortlisted by several art programs including the Elite Young Artists program supported by China National Arts Fund (CNAF) in 2019, SONY (China) Young Photographer Development Program (Student Competition) in 2019, and Young Art Creation Talent Funding Project of CNAF in 2022 .

 

Juanzi, one of the most influential Chinese fashion photographers, has long been engaged in shooting cover stories and extensive pictorial features for mainstream fashion magazines such as Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, VOGUE, ELLE, etc. Her advertising work includes collaborations with domestic and global fashion brands and advertising agencies. She was a judge in key events like National Fashion Design Competition, CCTV Model Contest, National Advertising Photography Contest, National Makeup Contest. Throughout her career, Juanzi has received multiple accolades, including the Asia's Most Influential Photographer Award, Top 10 Commercial Photographers Influencing China, China's Golden List Fashion Photographer, National Portrait Photography Contest Gold Award, China's Best Fashion Photographer, and many other honors. She was invited to participate in major exhibitions such as the Contemporary Chinese Artists Exhibition at a prominent German Museum, the German BFF Photography Exhibition, and the Beijing Forbidden City International Photography Masters Exhibition. Juanzi is also appointed as a Hasselblad Global Ambassador. Throughout her photography career spanning over two decades, her lens has captured exquisite, unforgettable, elegant and atmospheric visuals. Drawing upon a solid foundation in fine arts and fashion design, she has harnessed the enchantment of light and shadow to sculpt unique images, propelling an atmosphere of grandeur and elegance into fabrics of society.

Li Tong is a graduate of Tsinghua University (THU), holding a Bachelor of Arts in Photography (2013-2017) and a Master of Arts in Design (2017-2020), under the guidance of Professor Feng Jianguo.

In 2017, the artwork Relict received funding from the China National Arts Fund (CNAF) as part of their initiative to support young artistic talents. Moreover, in 2021, it was chosen for inclusion in the China National Arts Fund's project showcasing the achievements of young artistic talents.

 

Liu Silin was born in 1990 in Shenyang, China. She went to Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts & Design in 2013 to study for Master of Photography, tutored by Feng Jianguo.

Her series I'm Everywhere was selected as "TOP20 Chinese Cutting-Edge  Contemporary Photography" in 2015, and was selected in the "reGeneration3" global exhibition and publishing project of Photo Elysée in Switzerland in the same year. In 2016, she won the Discovery Award at the "Jimei xArles International Photo Festival". In 2018, her exhibition won the Best Exhibition Award of ParisBerlin fotogroup in Germany.

 

Liu Zirui recived his bachelor‘s degree from Communication University of China. He is now a master student major in photography at Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. His tutor is Professor Feng Jianguo.

He received China National Arts Fund in 2023 and was selected in the 28th National Photographic Art Exhibition by China Photographers Association and in the 6th China UAV Image Competition. He has contributed to China National Geographic, Tibet Tourism, Global Human Geography and other magazines. His renowned works include Himalayan Home, 365 Letters from the Planet, and The Secret Words between Heaven and Earth.

Born in 1989 in Luoyang, Henan, Ma Haoran is a doctoral student at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. He enrolled at the school in 2021 and is advised by Professor Feng Jianguo. His academic journey commenced with a bachelor's degree in Photography from the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, followed by a master's degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, USA.

 

Ma Haoran's artistic achievements have graced the halls of various renowned venues. Noteworthy mentions include his participation in the 2013 International Art Center of San Francisco, his presence at the 27th Photo L.A. exhibition in 2019, and his inclusion in the 15th National Large Format Photography Exhibition in 2023. Ma Haoran, who is a curator as well, curated the Time Difference exhibition, which showcased the creative endeavors of Chinese photography students studying abroad, at the 2018 Dali International Photography Festival. He also curated the Heart of Keriya exhibition for the New York Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) in 2019.

Ma Sen is currently on track to become an Associate Professor at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. He boasts a bachelor's degree from the School of Photography at the Beijing Film Academy and further earned a master's degree from the Photography Department of the same esteemed institution. Ma Sen's professional journey encompassed roles as an assistant lecturer and lecturer at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University.

 

Among his accomplishments, Ma Sen has been involved in works such as Setting Up Your Shots, where he served as the translator, and Image Production, where he assumed the role of editor. His academic prowess extends to noteworthy research papers, including “Structural Reconstruction of Digital Photography Education" published in the journal MEIYUAN, "Connected Photography and Images" featured in Chinese Photographers, and "Reconstructing Digital Photography" showcased in the journal ZHUANGSHI.

Mao Wei's artworks explore realms of mediation and representation in the real world, which artificially include her reflections on virtual reality, dreams, and uncertainty.

 

She earned her MFA at Duke University (USA) and is a Photography PhD student at Tsinghua University (PhD advisor: Feng Jianguo). Mao received the Kenan Institute of Ethics Religions and Public Life Graduate Fellowship and School of the Art Institute of Chicago Distinguished Scholar Scholarship. She has had solo and group exhibitions internationally, including Rubenstein Art Center, Louis Jones Brown Gallery, Duke's Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Japan AIR 3331 Arts, etc. Her work Manual City is archived by Duke's David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Born in 1968, Fujian, China. Lives and works between Kyoto, Beijing and Xiamen.

 

RongRong is a contemporary photographer and the co-founder and co-director of Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, as well as the co-founder and co-director of Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival. RongRong’s well-known works include East Village and Ruins, as well as several subsequent collaborations with his Japanese wife and photographic partner inri since 2000: In Fujisan, Liulitun, Caochangdi and Tsumari Story. Their work explores the beauty of the human body in nature and the urban environment, as well as the development of his family. His photos are in the collections of MoMA, Tate Modern, the Getty Museum, the Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation, the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, the Mori Art Museum, and several other distinguished foundations and private collectors.

 

In June 2007, RongRong&inri established the very first non-profit museum dedicated to photography in China “Three Shadows Photography Art Centre”. Over the years, RongRong has played an active role in programming and curating cross-disciplinary exhibitions, seminars and salons for established and emerging photographers both in mainland China and overseas, such as the launching of "Caochangdi Photospring: Arles in Beijing" for three consecutive years, “Nobuyoshi Araki: Sentimental Journey/Decadence in Paradise”, as well as the most celebrated Three Shadows Photography Award (TSPA). In 2015, RongRong co-founded with Sam Stourdzé(former director of the Rencontre d’Arles) Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival, the annual festival in Xiamen, Fujian province. RongRong&inri received the Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize at the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards, and the International Award at The 2022 Photographic Society of Japan.

Sun Yan completed his master's degree at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China. From 2008 to 2018, he held a teaching position at the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Macau Polytechnic University. Currently, he is engaged in pursuing a Ph.D. in Photography at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, guided by Professor Feng Jianguo. Sun Yan's expertise and creative endeavors encompass a wide spectrum of areas, including 3D animation, digital imagery, and the digital reinterpretation of traditional images.

 

His contributions have been showcased through solo and group exhibitions at esteemed venues, such as the Yokohama Museum of Art in Japan, the Centre Pompidou in France, the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto in Portugal, the Ox Warehouse in Macau, and the Today Art Museum.

Wang Shiran was born in 1988 in Dujiangyang City, China. He is a lecturer at Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics and holds a Ph.D. in photography from the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, as well as a master's degree in photography from FH Dortmund in Germany.

His series Memories of Distant Mountains: Vanishing Ancient Qiang Architecture was awarded the 2022 China National Arts Fund Young Art Creation Talent Funding Project and Ancient Qiang Architecture Documentary received the Collection Award at the 3rd Chinese Ethnographic Photography Bienniale in 2020. In 2017, the series Dream Garden was honored with the Best Photo award at Laser Gallery, published in Schwarzweiss Magazine (Germany) and shortlisted in the Athens Photo Festival (Greece). The series Volk über den Wolken was nominated for the 2015 Felix Schoeller Photo Award (Germany).

Wang Wei, a media worker and young photography artist, was born in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia. He started to study for the master's degree in photography at the Academy of Art & Design, Tsinghua University in 2016, under the guidance of Professor Feng Jianguo.

Wang Wei was the winner of the Excellence Award in Imaging at the 43rd World News Design Competition, an Selected Artist in the 2022 China Photographers Association Youth Photography Talent Training Program, and an Selected Artist in the 2023 National Art Foundation Talent Training Program "New Era All Media Photography Talent Training". He received the New Photographer Award recommended by the organizing committee of the 4th National Youth Photography Exhibition in 2021. "The Last Reindeer Tribe in China" was approved by the 2018 China National Arts Fund Young Art Creation Talent Funding Project and the 2019 China National Arts Fund Rolling Funding for Fine Art Projects. It has held exhibitions in Beijing, Taiwan, Singapore and other places. In 2020, this series of works was selected into the Chinese Ethnographic Photo Biennale and won the Gold Collection Award. Thirty-four of his works were permanently collected by the Chinese National Museum of Ethnology.

Born in 1984 in Yantai, Shandong, Zhang Yinghan earned her bachelor's degree in Media Production from the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries at the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom. She furthered her academic pursuits at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, where she studied Photography as a graduate student in 2016 and as a doctoral student in 2018, under the supervision of Professor Feng Jianguo.

 

In 2019, her work The Yellow Earth was chosen by the TOP20 2019 China Contemporary Photography Exhibition. She also won the China National Arts Fund for Young Art Talent Funding Project for her work, The Disappearing Seaweed House.

 

Feng Jianguo teaches at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. He is a professor, a doctoral supervisor, and a member of the academy’s academic committee. He is also a member of the Photographic Art Committee of the China Photographers Association.

 

In 2006, he earned an award for his “Outstanding Contribution to China’s Photography since the Founding of the PRC” by the China Photographers Association. In 2012, he won the 9th Golden Statue Award for China Photography jointly presented by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Photographers Association. Besides these awards, Feng Jianguo has also held over 30 solo exhibitions in galleries around the world, including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Austria, Taipei, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Furthermore, his artistic creations are collected by many public institutions around the world, such as the Shanghai Art Museum, the Capital Museum, the Valencia Institute of Modern Art in Spain, the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, the Guangdong Museum of Art, and the Nihon University College of Art in Tokyo.

 

Feng Jianguo has published seven works, including a monograph titled Learn Photography from Adams, two textbooks named Black and White Photography and Large Format Photography, and four photo books titled Vision of the West, The Last Hutong, The Power of Plateaus Tibetan Portraits, and A Catalogue of Contemporary Chinese Photography: Feng Jianguo. He also translated Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs into Chinese.