Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts is Committed to Innovative Research of Public Art

- Preliminary Achievements of the First Project of International Academic Cooperation Series

SHANGHAI, Dec. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On the afternoon of December 20th, after heated discussions and summaries by the art professionals from home and abroad at the Oil Painting Platform of the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University, the series of activities of 2017 Public Art International Academic Cooperation officially came to an end. This project is an important academic research project in the study of public art at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, mainly composed of three large-scale international research and creative practices, which aim to offer solutions for "urban renewal", "industrial relics revitalization" and "beautiful rural reconstruction" in China through art, using art to change the imbalance of social development and improve the quality of life of urban and rural people. The project invited more than 20 participants, including renowned theorists, artists and curators from top art colleges in Germany, Austria, the United States, Britain, Canada and many African countries, to jointly contribute to the research and application of public art in China.

The International Public Art Study Workshop that focused on the Dashilar Renewal Project in Beijing was held twice in mid-November and mid-December. The professional teams of international experts, the research teams from the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, School of Arts at the Peking University and the Academy of Arts & Design at the Tsinghua University, as well as the investors, organizers and designers from Beijing Dashilar Renewal Project, participated in the field study and academic research of the Dashilar project that won The Third International Public Art Prize. In the research, they explored the methods to study public art, the optimal mechanism of operation, and the evaluation methods and development direction of public art. The International Public Art Study Workshop is launched and organized by Public Art Cooperation Center of Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts (PACC) and Public Art magazine. It is a long-term public art research initiative that aims to creatively build a global and cross-cultural research platform and mechanism, and to form an international cutting-edge research model that adapts to China's actual conditions, contributing to the urban construction and cultural development in China.

To tie in with the transformation and revitalization of the industrial heritage in Shanghai, the overall transformation of the Wusong Industrial Zone, and the construction of Shanghai Wusong International Art City, Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts established public art research workshops in light of the status quo of the city, engaging with the experiences offered by international think tanks regarding the transformation and renewal of industrial heritage. In response to the project of BaoSteel Industrial Heritage Renovation and Transformation, a team of experts from 13 countries and the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts were invited to the Baowu Factory Area from November 16th to November 26th for site visit, field research, on-site practice and academic research. Based on the multi-level and in-depth research and analysis, they summarized the experience of the relevant and successful international cases. At the same time, forums were established to exchange the core content of the research through open discussions. Multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural, innovative and collaborative methods were adopted to discuss the future direction of the development and transformation of Shanghai industrial zones. Under the guidance of Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and Baowu Group, the international public art on-site creative practices were conducted, and they would continue developing into a series of sustainable on-site artistic creations with the research resources offered by Shanghai Wusong International Art City Development Research Institute, Studio for Public Art Theory & International Exchange of Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, and the International Public Art Research Network.

From November 16th to November 30th, the first workshop of the Moganshan "Belt and Road" Public Art Action Plan was held, co-organized by Shanghai Academy of Art and Zhejiang Moganshan International Tourism and Resort Zone Administration Committee. International experts, professors and students from the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and Moganshan local art and cultural workers worked together during the site visits, artistic creations, workshops, lectures and seminars; shared successful case studies and research methods of public art both at home and abroad; and agreed on the 2018 Public Art Creation Project and its content. The project will continue its three-year programs of public art, including artistic practice and academic research, digging deeper into the relationship between the "Silk Road" spirit and contemporary development, and boosting the implementation of the "Belt and Road" initiative.

SOURCE Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts