The complex, yet refined river systems of the Yangtze River Delta in East China form an apt metaphor for the way contemporary art education in the region is able to interact dynamically and resourcefully across disciplines. Whether art school curriculum, the individual practices of artists, or the educational programming of independent organisations, their roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined, and each offer fresh approaches to the local ecology of art education from their respective positions. How can artists, groups, institutions, spaces, and academies learn from one another in varying contexts to contribute to educational causes?  

When it comes to contemporary art in the East China region, discourse often revolves around the major cities. Jointly organised by BY ART MATTERS, Asia Art Archive, and the School of Art Administration and Education at China Academy of Art, this roundtable aims to spotlight how education can be a lens through which to understand a region’s specific contexts, bringing together art educators across regional geographies both within and outside established institutions. With a focus on the rigorous and careful efforts of local educators, it aims to foster further connections between contemporary art and diverse communities within the region. Together, leveraging existing resources, the roundtable will build a more diverse and collaborative art ecosystem in East China. 

The roundtable addresses the following questions: 

• What role does art education play in East China? 
• How can we facilitate inter- or cross-disciplinary collaboration and learning through contemporary art? 
• How can we use art education resources to generate a map of art education ecology together? 

The roundtable is by invitation only. For art education organisations or practitioners interested in participating, please contact Jocelin Kee at jocelin@aaa.org.hk by Monday, 17 June 2024. 

Roundtable Participants  

Introduction Speakers: 

• Lokyi Kong (Public Operation Manager, BY ART MATTERS) 
• Susanna Chung (Head of Learning & Participation, Asia Art Archive) 
• Liu Xiao (Deputy Director, Department of Art Administration and Education, China Academy of Art) 

Case Studies’ Speakers: 

• Hu Dingyu (Director, The Art Museum of Pond Loach) 
• Jin Ya'nan (Artist; Lecturer, School of Sculpture and Public Art, China Academy of Art) 
• Tian Fengyuan (Initiator of With In/Out Linhai) 
• Zhao Yunpeng (Deputy Dean and Professor, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University) 
• Xu Yihan (Artist; Initiator of Wind Society) and Zhu Jingming (Manager, PukouFactory Publishing Project)

Roundtable Participants:  

• Bao Yang (Curatorial Assistant, ICA at NYU Shanghai) 
• Alice Chen (Artist; Initiator and Director of Positive Art Research Center) 
• Fang Chenchu (Event Planner, Division of Public Education, Jiazazhi Library) 
• Nie Xiaoyi (Senior Editor, ArtReview China and LEAP) 
• Shi Bing (Artist; Lecturer, Department of Fibre Art, China Academy of Art) 
• Su Qian (Senior Public Education Coordinator, BY ART MATTERS)  
• Wu Yiyao (Curator of Public Practice, UCCA Edge) 
• Zheng Hanyu (Agency and Media Operations, RaidenINST) 
• Dr Joni Zhu (Head of Programs and Research, Shanghai Rockbund Art Museum) 
• Iris Zhu (Assistant Curator, ICA at NYU Shanghai) 

Moderator:  

• Ed Tianyi Sheng (Public Operation Group, BY ART MATTERS) 

The AAA Learning & Participation Programme is generously supported by the S. H. Ho Foundation Limited.