November 10th Opening Theme Lecture: Wu Hong - "Dunhuang of Space: Revisiting the Story of the Mogao Caves"

We must remember that Dunhuang is an actual socio-geographic space, and the Mogao Caves - a Buddhist architectural complex located twenty-five kilometers south of Dunhuang - only constitute a part of this geographical space.

— Wu Hong, "What is Dunhuang Art?"

Historically, the Mogao Caves belonged to a larger cultural and natural space, and it is only within this space that their true significance is revealed.

— Wu Hong, "Dunhuang of Space: Approaching the Mogao Caves"

Anyone who visits the Mogao Caves does not see the caves arranged in chronological order, but rather layered, varying in size, and interlocking, transforming the one-kilometer cliff face into a grand "honeycomb." This "indigestible" spatial experience is what conventional art historical narratives aim to overcome and dissolve: by classifying and dating the mixed caves according to content and style, organizing them into a linear historical process, and creating an orderly history of the Mogao Caves. However, this history only exists in books and is no longer the tangible and visible chambers and cliff faces in reality. This temporal narrative replaces the spatial existence of the caves and blocks out various perceptions and explorations related to space. (Excerpt from "Dunhuang of Space: Approaching the Mogao Caves")

Lecture Introduction

The lecture combines the basic concepts of the book "Dunhuang of Space: Approaching the Mogao Caves" to discuss how to use "space" as a research method to consider the relationship between the Mogao Caves and their environment, the construction process, and the actual experiences of historical visitors to this sacred site. The tools of spatial perception are first the body, then the eyes. Developing Dunhuang art materials from a spatial perspective must first activate the key roles of the body and gaze. This talk focuses on two points: one, how to observe and think about the architectural process and the overall image changes of the Mogao Caves from a spatial perspective; and two, understanding different cave designs through imagined journeys.

The event will also invite three guests for an in-depth dialogue: Professor Chen Juxia from the History Department of the School of Liberal Arts at Shanghai University, exhibition curator Zhou Zhenru, and participating artists Peng Wei, to discuss the artistic creation and exhibition conception in the exhibition "Jingxiang Dunhuang," exploring the representation and transformation of Dunhuang's cultural heritage in contemporary art practice from their respective academic, curatorial, and creative perspectives.

Event Details

Time: November 10th, 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Location: Changyang Hall Multifunction Hall, Changyang Valley, No. 1687 Changyang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai / Live Stream Online

Speaker Introduction

Wu Hong

A lifetime member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an honorary doctorate from Harvard University, is a renowned art historian, art critic, and curator. He is currently the "Speyer Distinguished Service Professor" in the Department of Art History and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Chicago, and the director of the Center for the Art of East Asia at the same university, as well as a visiting professor at Peking University's Wang Kuancheng Chair.

Guest Introductions

Chen Juxia

Professor and doctoral supervisor at the History Department of the School of Liberal Arts at Shanghai University. She mainly engages in research on Dunhuang documents and the imagery of the Dunhuang grottoes. She has published monographs such as "Dunhuang Zhai's Research," "Dunhuang and Sui-Tang Urban Civilization" (co-authored), "The Amazing Dunhuang" (co-authored), and has published over 40 papers.

Peng Wei

An exhibiting artist at "Jingxiang Dunhuang," she dialogues with Chinese tradition and history in the context of international contemporary art practice, expanding and subverting the tradition of Chinese classical ink painting, and is widely praised for this.

Zhou Zhenru

Curator of "Jingxiang Dunhuang," a scholar of architectural history, currently working at the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University, and has studied and interned at the University of Chicago and the Dunhuang Research Institute. She is engaged in the study of Dunhuang architecture, integrating traditional research objects such as architectural images, grottoes, and wooden structures, to reveal the comprehensive spatial art of ancient Buddhist architecture.

Host Introduction

Fan Bai Ding

Associate Professor at the China Academy of Art, Deputy Dean of the School of Art and Humanities. His research focuses on the history of art history, the tradition of iconology, Renaissance art theory, and world art.