Debra Li

debra_lidan@163.com

UNTIL Feb. 1 next year, a thought-provoking exhibition invites visitors to explore the latest experiments in blurring the boundaries between art forms at the Guangming Culture and Art Center.

Titled “Flowing Interface: Future Grammar and Local Roots,” the exhibition showcases works by 22 faculty members and 24 students and alumni from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (SCFAI).

Among the featured faculty are:

Luo Zhongli, former president of SCFAI, celebrated for his early realist oil paintings and more recently for developing a distinct style of “local expressionism”;

Pang Maokun, the current president of SCFAI, who gained recognition for his classical oil painting techniques and now focuses on themes such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the evolving nature of human identity and emotion in the face of rapid technological change;

Jiao Xingtao, a sculptor deeply engaged in public art who integrates artistic practice with everyday life.

Notable among the students and alumni is Wang Chuan, an active figure in Shenzhen’s contemporary art scene. Through photography, video, installation, and text, he captures and interprets the complex relationships between space, history, and memory amid globalization and urbanization, often exploring themes of alienation in fast-paced modern society.

Having witnessed Shenzhen’s artistic growth alongside the city’s own development, Wang encourages fellow artists to remain curious and courageous, to delve deeper into life, and to cultivate their individualized artistic expression.

The exhibition presents paintings, sculptures, installations, videos, and new media works that vividly embody the concept of “fluid interfaces.” Visitors can observe the evolution of painting in the digital age — where brushstrokes interact with algorithms on the canvas. They can also experience how sculpture and installation expand narrative possibilities through material and spatial reconstruction. Video and new media works, in their more liberated forms, offer philosophical reflections on memory, identity, and existence, dissolving the lines between virtual and real. Together, these works demonstrate the fluid potential of contemporary art and point toward its future directions.

Following the success of a June exhibition showcasing SCFAI graduates’ works at two museums in Chongqing, the institute decided to bring fresh creations by its faculty and students to a wider audience. This led to the “Walking in July” exhibition at the Young Art Museum in Shanghai, which was warmly received by art enthusiasts.

Curated by Hui Shuwen, the current exhibition combines contemporary relevance, intellectual depth, and experimental spirit to offer audiences an artistic feast that enlightens the mind and engages the senses.

The exhibition is free to the public.

Dates: Until Feb. 1, 2026

Venue: Hall B, 3/F, Fine Arts Museum, Guangming Culture and Art Center (光明文化艺术中心美术馆3楼B展厅)

Metro: Line 6 to Fenghuang Town Station (凤凰城站), Exit B