Art and heritage converge to renew cultural dialogue

Oceans apart but both shaped by water, New York and Shanghai tell a shared story of China-US cultural exchange. The two global cities continue to connect through culture, education and dialogue.

That enduring link was highlighted on Monday at the China Institute of America in New York, bringing together young scholars and artists from China and the United States. Participants explored the convergence of technology, art and philosophy, fostering intellectual exchange among younger generations and promoting mutual learning across cultures.

"This is not only an academic dialogue across geographical boundaries, but also a cultural exchange that connects history with the future," said Yu Yougen, education counselor of the Chinese Consulate General in New York.

"Shanghai and New York, two internationally renowned cities shaped by water, have maintained close and fruitful exchanges for decades," Yu said. "From the Huangpu River to the Hudson River, what crosses the Pacific is not only exhibitions and conversations, but also the shared aspiration of people from both countries to learn from each other."

Zhang Huihong, deputy chair of the University Council of East China Normal University in Shanghai, said the two cities share more than their identities as international metropolises.

"Although thousands of miles apart, they share similar city spirits of openness and inclusiveness," she said. "Through collaborative cultural creation and cross-ocean dialogue, we hope to explore more possibilities for people-to-people exchanges between China and the US."

From July 9 to July 30, the China Institute of America's gallery will feature more than 100 works by students and faculty from East China Normal University. Inspired by Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang's landmark 1930 US tour, which introduced Chinese opera to US audiences, the exhibition highlights a milestone in China-US cultural exchange.

Through prints, paintings, illustrations, animations and AI-generated artwork, the exhibition explores how traditional Chinese art and intangible cultural heritage can be reinterpreted through contemporary design and emerging technologies.

Wei Shaonong, a professor at East China Normal University's School of Design, said students are encouraged to draw on China's cultural heritage while pursuing contemporary art.

"Traditional Chinese culture contains rich artistic elements, and we hope students can reinterpret them through today's artistic language and creative approaches," he said.

Speaking about Mei Lanfang's influence, Wei said the artist offered an important lesson in cultural communication.

"Peking Opera was far from American audiences' cultural background at the time, yet Mei achieved tremendous success in the US because he understood that introducing art to a new audience requires communicating through a language and context that people can understand," he said.

Wei emphasized the inspiration from Mei's visit that cultural communication involves translating not only language, but also storytelling and cultural context.

Monday's event was titled "From Shanghai to New York: A Century-Long Cultural Journey Inspiring New China-US Dialogue", a core session of the third season of "Bund: A Global Urban Humanities Dialogue".

It also featured the launch of Collaborative Learning, an in-person intercultural roundtable in New York initiated by Paul J. D'Ambrosio, a professor of Chinese philosophy at East China Normal University.

"As scholars, we should remember that cultural exchange happens through many different forms," D'Ambrosio said.

"While academic research and focused discussions remain important, we also need to stay open to broader forms of communication," he added.

mingmeili@chinadailyusa.com