Multimedia
17
Nov
The prosperity of China's arts disciplines must be firmly anchored to the grand blueprint of Chinese modernization. In this process, the major theoretical innovation "Two Integrations" serves as the fundamental guideline and source of vitality.
First, integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities, which determines that China's arts disciplines are fundamentally people-centered and have distinctive characteristics of the times. In future art education, artistic creation and research, we must immerse - physically, mentally and emotionally - ourselves in communities, drawing inspiration and ideas from the vibrant tapestry of production and life, interacting with the main battlefield of economic and social development, while actively embracing new technological transformations in the AI era.
Second, integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China's traditional culture, which dictates the profound cultural subjectivity and unique national charm of China's arts disciplines. We must deeply comprehend and creatively draw upon core concepts, including the cosmology of harmony between man and nature, the values of moderation, harmony and elegance, and the creation view of spirit resonance, and transform them into the intrinsic spirit and aesthetic core of contemporary artistic creation. We must organically integrate traditional memories, materials and narratives with contemporary concepts, languages and techniques. We should build an independent knowledge system for Chinese arts, articulate views on art history based on the evolutionary logic of Chinese civilization, and translate them into an artistic language easily understood and accepted by the international community. This will enable Chinese arts to serve as a bridge and bond for promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.
The "Two Combinations" theory requires us to entrench ourselves in the domestic market, fortifying the people-centered and national quality of arts disciplines. It also calls on us to expand into the international market, enhancing the international communication efficiency and influence of arts disciplines. Along the remarkable journey of Chinese modernization, we look forward to and are convinced that arts disciplines definitely will embrace new possibilities. Let us work together to contribute an irreplaceable historic share of arts disciplines to promoting cultural prosperity, building China's cultural strength and writing a new chapter in human civilization.
(Translated excerpts from the views of ZHANG Chun, Researcher at the National Academy of Development and Strategy (NADS), and Dean of the School of Arts at Renmin University of China (RUC), at the fifth session of the Jiangshan Forum· Expert Talks, an original short video interview series of NADS.)