“Moral Models Shape the New Era — Exhibition of Patriotic Works at ZJAM” Kicks off

pubdate: 2019/4/1   author: zjam  source: zjam  click:

On March 30, Hangzhou Patriotic Education Bus Line officially hit the road! The special bus starting from ZJAM will clear all worries about traffic jams obstructing the trips to scenic spots during holidays. As the next step, in order to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the official operation of the “Patriotic Education” bus line in Hangzhou, ZJAM planned to hold a special event called “Moral Models Shape the New Era — Exhibition of Patriotic Works at ZJAM” to promotes patriotic education and carry on the red culture.

On the morning of March 30, Ying Jinfei, executive deputy curator of ZJAM, served as a guide to the exhibition, telling touching stories behind the exhibits to carry on the patriotic sentiments of heroes of the times. The exhibition consisted of five sections, namely, “Ancient Heroes”, “Centennial Spirits”, “Salutary Models”, and “Splendid Landscape”. As a tribute to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, many exhibits commemorated well-known heroes or significant historic events.

Ying Jinfei, executive deputy curator of ZJAM, serving as a guide at the exhibition

 

Ancient Heroes

Zhejiang is bathed in ancient civilizations, and the splendid Hemudu culture rewrote the history of the Yangtze River basin and the prehistory of China. The arduous work of King Goujian turned into reality the rebirth of Zhejiang civilization. The gathering of literati in Lanting becomes a tradition warmly respected and effectively passed on by later generations of writers and calligraphers. The supreme patriotism and utter devotion of the famous general Yue Fei is deeply rooted in the hearts of people and becomes a story through ages. Marco Polo travelled to Hangzhou for the first time and left comments that amazed the world. Great scholar Wang Yangming opened a chapter of Confucianism and became a master of “the philosophy of the mind” with his profound knowledge and thought. Thinker Huang Zongxi was a wise and rational man who contributed shining thoughts. Artists portrayed these patriotic figures living in people’s memories and praised the long history and generous humanistic spirit of Zhejiang.

 

Centennial Spirits

This section brought together works about the history and reality of Zhejiang. These works were artistic reproductions of the specific cultural spirit in a specific era, embodied the unique spiritual temperament of the Chinese nation and the people of Zhejiang, and depicted both turbulence and firm determination that supported every move forward in spite of all uncertainties ahead. Artists reproduced history in group images and told touching and passionate stories that showed respect for history, admiration for predecessors and exclamation for the hardships of nation missions. Retrospect of history and past hard days was a reminder of original intention and encouragement to forge ahead.

 

Salutary Models

As a pioneer of reform and opening up, Zhejiang is the birthplace of diligent and wise people who dare to be pioneers and bold innovators. They have written a passionate and vigorous epic and blazed a development trail with characteristics of the times and the province. They are men ahead of the times and live up to the Zhejiang spirit of “taking practical actions, walking in the forefront, and taking the lead”. Zhejiang people apply Zhejiang wisdom to Zhejiang experience which is used to write an open chapter specific to Zhejiang. Like life-giving spring breeze and rain, they work hard, open up new paths, build vivid patriotic models in the new era, and write a new chapter in the prosperity history of Zhejiang.

 

Splendid Landscape

Painting beautiful landscape and scenery in South China is the very dream of artists born in this region. It is their hope that viewers can extract the purity and infinity of human mind from myriads of scenery. Works in the section “Splendid Landscape” showed the dazzling looks and natural beauty of the motherland and enthusiastically praised the beautiful life in the peaceful era. Immersed in magnificent nature, the creators found themselves both artists who were indulged in creation and poets who were greatly inspired to put the vicissitudes of landscape and the vastness of scenery on paper. Deep affection was expressed from poems celebrating splendid mountains and rivers. These works depicting the beautiful mountains and rivers in the motherland were profound and romantic, together with the paintings portraying the long history and the great humanistic spirit of Zhejiang, composed a magnificent long ballad.

 

Souls of the Times

The sculpture art in China has a long history and boasts of brilliant achievements. It is an important part of the traditional culture of the Chinese nation and a direct evidence of the spirit of the times and national spirit. Please follow the map to the sculpture section, the fifth section of the exhibition, in the outdoor exhibition hall of ZJAM. These works were all products of major historical theme projects in Zhejiang. There were monumental figure sculptures and expressive sculptures with a strong sense of form. They fully demonstrated the sculpture making strength of Zhejiang. Some sculptors told tragedies of national heroes by blending their fates with the nation, while others put the subjects in a calm sitting posture to reflect the good morale of founding leaders. All of them had in-depth thinking on shaping temperament and reproducing souls of the times in their sculpture works.

There were a number of unlimited interactive zones at the exhibition. Get ready to start a trip on the patriotic education bus. In the fine arts interactive zone on this Happy Bus, participants could paint the bus to make their own patriotic bus. In the photo taking zone on the Patriotic Education Bus, participants could, however, become drivers to set off at any time with their little friends to the exhibition. The treasure hunting game in the outdoor sculpture section provided a map to big historic events happening in Zhejiang along the “outer ring” of ZJAM where large sculptures about historic themes were shown as additions to the paintings in the exhibition halls. Exhibition tasks card challenged interested visitors to restore jigsaws of patriotic themes. Visitors might come and finish the tasks in the exhibition halls. Patriotic Education DIY offered a chance for children to make their own little bus with simple tools. Those who held a Second Classroom Card might use it to get a free kit for the activity.

An interpretation of a painting will allow listeners to better understand its meaning, while the interpreter can learn more art knowledge and build closer connection with the painting art as she or he interprets it.

We would like to pass on the fun and power of interpretation to children so that these future successors can experience the word-of-mouth effect on art. To this end, ZJAM works with the Second Classroom of Hangzhou in launching a special project that trains little painting interpreters as an extension of fine arts education platforms in schools. Under the guidance of Xu Chengtao, a full-time guide of ZJAM, students will act as museum guides and little painting interpreters to experience a wonderful art journey.  Participating in this project can improve observation, develop aesthetics, and temper thinking ability in children. They could even eventually be able to independently interpret an art work for audiences.

As part of this exhibition, “Little Painting Interpreter” will meet the public at ZJAM at 10:30 tomorrow morning. Interested audiences may make an appointment on the official website of ZJAM or the WeChat account of ZJAM membership.