On December 31, 2021, the Second “New Momentum”: The Reporting Exhibition by Newly Recruited Teachers and the Invitational Exhibition by Young Teachers commenced at CAFA Art Museum. It was hosted by the Department of Faculty Members which belongs to the CAFA Party Committee (Personnel Office) and the CAFA Development Center of Teachers. The opening ceremony for the joint exhibition was held simultaneously with the completion ceremony for new staff training in 2021. 19 newly recruited young teachers and 12 in-service young teachers were invited to showcase their achievements which comprehensively represent their academic studies and featured styles, covering paintings, sculpture, design, installations, videos, essays and so on. In this concentrated scheme, they vividly interpret the connotation of “New Momentum” and they converge into a silent communication.

Exhibition View

In September 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed efforts to implement the strategy on developing a quality workforce in the new era and to accelerate the work to build China into a major world center of professional talent and innovation. Higher education institutions especially “double first-class” universities, are required to give full play to their role in talent training, and they should cultivate, introduce, and make good use of professional talent. Being one of the most prestigious academies of fine arts in China, Central Academy of Fine Arts has been leading the developing trends of fine arts in China, which is supported by its strong faculty members. CAFA has always attached great importance to team building of talent, and it is devoted to building a team of artists and art educators who love the party, serve the country, and are also dedicated themselves to teaching career. With outstanding innovative capabilities, they can make contributions to the country’s cultural and artistic undertakings. Young teachers, as a new force in the development of CAFA cannot be ignored. While breaking the conventions, this joint exhibition provides a concentrated report on achievements of teaching, creation and research, and it also encourages newly recruited members of CAFA to learn from examples and become the “New Momentum” of future development in CAFA.

Exhibition View

Guests that participated in the opening ceremony included Gao Hong, Secretary of Party Committee at the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Fan Di’an, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Yang Wenhai, Deputy Party Secretary and Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee; Wang Xiaolin, Deputy Party Secretary, Lyu Pinjing, Deputy President, participating artists, leaders from various departments and schools. It was presided over by Fu Yijing, Director of the Department of Faculty Members that belongs to the CAFA Party Committee (Personnel Office) and the CAFA Development Center for Teachers.

Gao Hong, Secretary of Party Committee at the Central Academy of Fine Arts

Gao Hong, Secretary of Party Committee at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, stated in his speech that the newly recruited teachers brought vigorous energy to CAFA and they also heralded a new hope. The staff training for new teachers reviewed the development of CAFA over a century and the achievements by a senior generation of artists in creations and art education. They have led to advancements in Chinese fine arts and art education, how to pass on this glorious tradition in a new epoch activates a new Momentum for the new centennial development of CAFA. He hoped that young teachers would jointly contribute to CAFA with their enthusiasm, knowledge and advantages. While shouldering this epochal mission, carrying forward the glorious tradition in upholding patriotism, serving the people, admiration for morality and justice, and with a great love for all the students, they can create masterpieces using grand techniques.

Fan Di’an, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts

Fan Di’an, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts mentioned in his speech that, 2021 was an extraordinary year as it was a milestone: we have demonstrated the new creations by teachers and students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in various activities celebrating the Party’s centennial birthday while we have contributed to the country with our new achievements formed by the CAFA wisdom. The training of newly recruited faculty members for CAFA has adopted new methods with new themes being highlighted as well. These newcomers of CAFA have been welcomed with joy and hope, as they have the mentality of CAFA and they should give a good evaluation of the training results. This joint exhibition has formed an atmosphere full of active ideas and open-minded exchanges. This academic environment formulated by planning and design of this exhibition also provided a concentration on thinking about the developments in CAFA. He also emphasized that in the special speech by General Secretary Xi Jinping, talented personnel were seen as having great importance, while in the planning of CAFA, talent and team building are both important. In the new year, the faculty scale of CAFA will continue to grow and work together to become a new driving force in the future.

The opening was presided over by Fu Yijing, Director of the Department of Faculty Members that belongs to the CAFA Party Committee (Personnel Office) and the CAFA Development Center of Teachers.Exhibition View

Wu Xueshan, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of the School of Humanities, delivered a speech.

Wu Xueshan, a representative of participating artists first thanked the Department of Faculty Members that belongs to the CAFA Party Committee (Personnel Office) and the CAFA Development Center of Teachers for providing young teachers with an opportunity to showcase their teaching results. As a teacher transferred from another school back to CAFA, he can consciously enjoy the “halo” of CAFA which was created by the previous teachers over the past century. Their achievements and reputation blessed the students here and the teachers who came later to work here. From his undergraduate studies to his master’s and doctoral degrees, he has enjoyed the halo of the Central Academy of Fine Arts for ten years. He hoped that in the future, all the young teachers participating in this exhibition would make the halo of CAFA brighter.

Geng Xue, Lecturer and Young Artist of the CAFA Department of Sculpture, gave a speech.

Geng Xue, a representative of participating artists, said in her speech that the exhibition put high demands on young teachers. She chose her new work “Changbai Mountain” in 2021 to participate in the exhibition, telling the story of her own growth. From her childhood to her study at the Central Academy of Fine Arts which covers more than 20 years of development, she still keeps learning today, deepening her understanding of modeling and applying it to new creations. She hoped to turn her gratitude to CAFA into feedback for teaching. While keeping teaching as well, she strives to continue to develop her academic research and work with colleagues to continue to pass on the academic tradition of the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

Xue Tianchong, a teacher of the School of Design and the design director of the exhibition, delivered a speech.

Xue Tianchong, a representative of the participating teachers, shared his transformation from student to teacher: The Central Academy of Fine Arts has a deep heritage and accumulation of art. In the face of senior artists and other professional teachers, he deeply felt that he needed more work and study to develop himself. At the same time, he also gave a brief report on the teaching direction of design curation and space design that he was responsible for, hoping to conduct more exchanges with other teachers.

Han Wenchao, Secretary of the Party Branch of the CAFA Art Museum, introduced the project.

After the opening ceremony, Han Wenchao, Secretary of the Party Branch of the CAFA Art Museum, introduced the “The Experimental Project Space for Youth.” While adhering to the common concept of promoting the multi-dimensional exploration of the young teachers from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in curating and creating exhibitions. CAFA Art Museum cooperated with the Department of Faculty Members that belongs to the CAFA Party Committee (Personnel Office) and the CAFA Development Center of Teachers to set up a special space in the Museum to make it an experimental field for young teachers’ creations, research and exhibitions, exhibition planning, and collection research. In 2022, the project space will be open to young faculty members of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, soliciting three types of proposals covering exhibition planning, creation of works, and collection research. He hoped that the Museum will serve as a window for external exhibitions, and the project can help young teachers connect with the society.

Gao Hong, Secretary of Party Committee at the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Fan Di’an, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Fu Yijing, Director of the Department of Faculty Members belongs to the CAFA Party Committee (Personnel Office) and the CAFA Development Center of Teachers, and Han Wenchao, Secretary of the Party Branch of the CAFA Art Museum, introduced the project, jointly unveiled the 2022 annual proposal call for “The Experimental Project Space for Youth.” (Photo courtesy of the organizer).

Subsequently, Gao Hong, Secretary of Party Committee at the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Fan Di’an, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Yang Wenhai, Deputy Party Secretary and Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee; Wang Xiaolin, Deputy Party Secretary, Lyu Pinjing, Deputy President, presented award certificates to representatives of newly recruited faculty members.

Exhibition View

It is reported that the CAFA Development Center of Teachers was established in 2013 and it was merged into the Department of Faculty Members belonging to the CAFA Party Committee (Personnel Office) in 2018. Many exhibitions on teachers’ education achievements and newly recruited faculty members were held by the CAFA Development Center of Teachers. The original intention of this joint exhibition was to build a solid development platform for teachers, promote new teachers while praising senior teachers, which can contribute to the all-round development of faculty members at CAFA. It is the Second “New Momentum” for newly recruited teachers and the exhibition will be on display until January 9, 2022.

Text by Yang Zhonghui, ed. and trans. by Sue/CAFA ART INFO

Photo by Li Di/CAFA ART INFO

About the exhibition

Duration: December 31, 2021 - January 9, 2022

Venue: Hall A, on the second floor of CAFA Art Museum

Participating teachers:

New teachers:

Han Jianwen, Jin Qifeng, Han Tingting, Xu Yining, Bai Bingyang, Zheng Yanyu, Lian Yinghong, Qiu Siyao, Zhang Yu, Xue Tianchong, Hou Ruoyi, Shen Cai, Wu Xiaohan, Liu Shuang, Chen Lier, Yuan Hongsong, Yang Guolong, Huang Ruiyu, Wu Ge

Young teachers:

Di Chao, Xia Libin, Yu Yutian, Geng Xue, Wu Xueshan, Feng Xue, Li Zhan, Lei Dahai, Wu Zhuoyang, Zhou Shu, Li Luo, Wang Yi