Curator Ying Jinfei Visits Kuwait and Delivers A Lecture Themed "Oriental Wisdom and the Inheritance and Mutual Learning of Chinese and Arabian Civilizations"

pubdate: 2024/11/18   author: zjam  source: zjam  click:

Both Chinese and Arabian civilizations are significant components of the four ancient civilizations of humanity. They also represent two of the four human cultural systems in the world that are characterized by lasting history, vast geographical reach, independent system, far-reaching influence, and unbroken historical continuity. They bear profound cultural heritages and historical origins, in terms of both intrinsic meaning and developmental trajectory. In recent years, particularly, China and Arab have collaborated closely to establish a China-Arab community for a shared future in the new era, which has effectively promoted the global human civilization towards a new stage and a new development height.

At the invitation of the Islamic Antiquities Museum of Kuwait and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the State of Kuwait, Ying Jinfei, curator of ZJAM, visited Kuwait City with a delegation from November 11 to 14 for a cultural exchange.

On November 11, Chinese experts in cultural relics visited the Chinese Cultural Center in Kuwait to attend a series of lectures themed “China’s Story”. This event attracted over 50 attendees, including diplomats from the Chinese embassy and leaders of the overseas Chinese community in Kuwait. Liu Xiang, the charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait, was present, and Xia Jianfeng, director of the Chinese Cultural Center in Kuwait, acted as the moderator. Focusing on the theme of “Public Reconstruction of Aesthetics”, Curator Ying Jinfei explained in simple language the concept of aesthetic education, the similarities and differences between Eastern and Western aesthetics, the relationship between traditional aesthetics and Chinese culture and history, as well as the development status of aesthetics in China. He noted that aesthetics, as a spiritual and cultural endeavor, serves as an important pathway to nurture talents who have all-round “moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic grounding with a hard-working spirit”. In the context of the new era, the public reconstruction of aesthetics holds significant importance, as it can enhance the aesthetic literacy and foster national pride and cultural self-confidence in citizens. During the meeting, the Chinese and foreign experts and scholars exchanged insights regarding the Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road, as well as the implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative.

Curator Ying Jinfei delivering the lecture themed “Public Reconstruction of Aesthetics”

On November 13, Curator Ying Jinfei attended the cultural forum themed “End of the World Connected by the Silk Road” and delivered a thematic lecture called Oriental Wisdom and the Inheritance and Mutual Learning of Chinese and Arabian Civilizations. The event attracted over 200 attendees, including Zhang Jianwei, the Chinese Ambassador to Kuwait; Tan Ping, director of the Art Exhibitions China; Abdel Rahman, representative of Prime Minister Ahmad of Kuwait and Minister of Information and Culture; Princess Hissah, director of the Islamic Antiquities Museum of Kuwait; Jassar, secretary-general of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters; Sameeh, assistant foreign minister for Asian Affairs; Yu Zhiyong, vice president of the Culture and Museum Academy and the Museum of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; Xiao Haiming, director of the Guangdong Museum; as well as foreign envoys and various friendly personages from different sectors in Kuwait.

A group photo of guests attending the cultural forum themed “End of the World Connected by the Silk Road”

Ambassador Zhang Jianwei said in his speech that the ancient Silk Road connected Chinese and Arabian civilizations together over two thousand years ago. President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, advocating inclusive coexistence, exchange and mutual learning among diverse civilizations. China is glad to collaborate with Kuwait to actively implement the agreements established by the leaders of both nations and to continuously deepen bilateral cultural exchanges. Abdel Rahman said that the relationship between China and Kuwait is built on a strong foundation and holds promising prospects. The two leaders have reached significant agreements aimed at deepening bilateral relations, which will inject strong impetus into the exchanges and cooperation across various sectors, including culture. This event will showcase the mutual commitment of both parties to cultural preservation and advancement and to promotion of exchanges and mutual learning between the civilizations.

Curator Ying Jinfei’s lecture focused on the exhibitions under the series of “Oriental Wisdom”, an independent curatorial brand from ZJAM. He detailed the project’s evolution since its inception in 2016, including the preservation of traditional culture in the contemporary world, contemporary art conveyed in diverse media, public art programs, and academic publications related to the exhibitions. According to his lecture, the term “oriental” transcends mere geographical boundaries. “Oriental Wisdom” represents a valuable heritage accumulated over millennia. Through the museum’s curatorial narrative, excellent traditional cultures can be effectively carried forward and shine with renewed brilliance.

Thematic sharing session on Oriental Wisdom and the Inheritance and Mutual Learning of Chinese and Arabian Civilizations

Subsequently, Curator Ying Jinfei traced the origins of water culture and oriental civilization. Focusing on the Chinese and Arabian national spirits reflected in the Mesopotamian civilization from the Tigris and the Euphrates, the ancient Egyptian civilization from the Nile River Basin, and the Chinese civilization from the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal water system, he examined how the water culture nurtured the birth and prosperity of the oriental civilization and compared the characterization of differences between Eastern and Western cultures. He also reviewed the glorious periods in the history of China and Arab when they led the scientific progress of all mankind and reshaped the cultural self-confidence of the oriental civilization. In addition, Curator Ying made a specific comparative analysis on the Tao Te Ching from China and the Koran from Arab and discussed the ultimate philosophical issues such as the cosmology of “the unity of heaven and man”, the relationship between man and all creatures in heaven and earth, and the physical and mental settlement of individuals shared by the Chinese and Arabian civilizations. Faced with the ever-changing challenges and tests of international relations in the world today, the “oriental wisdom”, which embodies the inheritance and mutual learning between civilizations, will undoubtedly become the core beacon for the peaceful development and win-win cooperation of human civilizations.

Curator Ying Jinfei introducing the curatorial brand of “Oriental Wisdom” from ZJAM

At the seminar, Bader Rashidi, a history professor from Kuwait University, talked about the trade contacts between China and the Abbsid Dynasty; Abdullah Al-Anbaie, another history professor from Kuwait University, explored Islamic history, culture, and self-identity by analyzing Chinese academic writings. Experts and scholars from Kuwait fully affirmed the role of the Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road in promoting exchanges, communication and integration between China and Arabian countries, as well as their important contributions to promoting the development of human civilizations.

On November 14, the delegation of Chinese cultural and museum experts visited the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait and had an in-depth exchange with Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jianwei on the results of the visit. Ambassador Zhang highly appreciated the results of the delegation’s visit to Kuwait and hoped that the experts will continue to support the continuous deepening of cultural exchanges between China and Kuwait.

A group photo of Ambassador Zhang Jianwei with the delegation of Chinese experts in culture and museum

Tan Ping, the Director of the Art Exhibitions China, said that the the Director of the Art Exhibitions China will continue to leverage its advantageous resources in international cultural relics exchanges, continuously strengthen bilateral cooperation with cultural heritage institutions including the Islamic Antiquities Museum of Kuwait in the fields of cultural relics exhibitions within and outside the national territory, support the friendly exchanges and people-to-people understanding between the two countries, and contribute to the deepening of the strategic partnership between the two countries and the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future.