In the inaugural exhibition "Jingxiang Dunhuang" at Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum, Ni Youyu submitted a proposal that was not ultimately realized. Instead, his other work "Stupa" appeared in the "Mental Image" section of the exhibition. Not coincidentally, both works are related to Buddha statues and their disappearance (absence). However, this fact is merely the surface of the works; what truly gives the works their unique and charming appeal is the process of their formation and the time required.

"Time" plays an important role in Ni Youyu's creations. On the one hand, his works touch more or less on classical aesthetics and art history of both the East and the West; on the other hand, the completion of the works takes a long time, sometimes several years. In this process, objects and images that originally belonged to different times meet under the framework of Ni Youyu's works, recombining into new identities and narratives. For Ni Youyu, time is no longer an object to be competed for, calculated, saved, or squandered, but a kernel that seems to have life - thrown into the corner of the studio, polished from time to time, waiting for luck, and then it begins to grow and mature.

This lecture will share the core of "time" in the artist's creations and how to "string these beads" through the artist's works and creative experiences. The lecture will be moderated by Liu Yingjiu, the Executive Director of Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum.