Home—From Tradition to Modernity 2003 Shanghai Art Exhibition · Design Art Exhibition

Author: Shanghai Artists Association
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The "2003 Shanghai Art Exhibition · Design Art Exhibition" moved beyond the realm of pure art to expand into the field of design art, establishing the theme "Home — From Tradition to Modernity," which garnered significant attention and acclaim. The theme itself reflects a cultural attitude, serving as a valuable attempt in contemporary art, as it signifies the organizers' and creators' concern and awareness of the cultural direction of design art in China. Faced with the assimilation, neglect, and disregard of Chinese living culture and folk art design, the reality of Chinese-identified design art "leaving home," the organizers aimed to explore and exchange this creative practice by choosing "home" as a medium. Unlike previous design art exhibitions, this one was distinguished not only by its clear theme but also by the following features: First, the primary creative force of the exhibition consisted of faculty and students from 17 design art universities across the country, while also attracting experienced designers from the society to participate; second, the exhibition did not stop at the design level but primarily used spatial creation and physical displays as its main form, showcasing vividness, liveliness, and visual appeal; third, in addition to theoretical discussions, the exhibition also presented an exhibition on the literature of "home." This structure and approach determined the exhibition's emphasis on both exploration and academic rigor. This exhibition featured 76 works, including 28 integrated design works, 46 single-series design works, and 2 multimedia design works, all selected from over 200 submitted design proposals from across the country. These works reflected their cultural heritage from Chinese traditions from different perspectives, combining contemporary aesthetic tastes, home fashion, and notions of creation. They proposed ideas for constructing "home" from various angles, including concepts, ethics, functionality, materials, and environmental sustainability. Among them, Shandong College of Art and Design had four works selected: "Door · Door God" by Pan Lusheng, Hu Xijia, Wu Jun, Shao Limin, and Wang Ruiqing; "Four Generations Under One Roof · Family of Three · SOHO Residence · Single Elite" by Shao Limin, Hu Xijia, Ding Ning, Li Wenhua, and Li Yude; "Untitled A" by Li Wenhua; and "Home · Household Goods · Home Decor" by Tang Jialu and Li Jiaxuan (sponsored by Zhufeng Craftsmanship Co., Ltd.). The literature section provides a concise overview of the history of "home" design in China, encompassing "legendary home," "philosophical home," "historical home," "literary home," and "novelistic home," condensed from 600,000 words and 1,500 images. It is richly illustrated and contains substantial theoretical and academic content. The space created by the exhibition is both rich and novel, featuring multiple types.