What specific issues would guide you?
Culture and Innovation: to explore how to introduce innovative elements of contemporary art while maintaining the traditional cultural essence of blueprints (Foster et al., 2005).
Cross-cultural exchange: to investigate how blueprints can be used as a cultural vehicle to promote cultural exchange and understanding between China and the UK.
Artists’ perspectives: Consider inviting contemporary artists from China and the UK to participate together to demonstrate how they interpret and make innovative use of blueprints.
Audience Participation: Drawing on Bourriaud’s theory of social interaction between artworks and the audience in Relational Aesthetics (Bourriaud, 2002), interactive sessions are designed to allow the audience to learn not only about the history and techniques of blueprint fabrics but also to experience the process of their contemporary art creation.
Ethics and Sustainability: How the exhibition embodies the ethics of conservation and sustainable development of intangible cultural heritage (Marstine, 2011).
Why are these issues so pressing?
Chinese intangible cultural heritage, such as blueprints, not only represents the history and identity of a culture but also faces the risk of disappearance and oblivion in the process of modernization and globalization (Smith, 2006). With changing lifestyles and the rise of industrialized production, the transmission of traditional handicrafts has been challenged (Zhang & Sun, 2014). In the context of globalization, cross-cultural exchanges have become more frequent, and the preservation and inheritance of culture are facing new challenges and opportunities (Kurin, 2007). Contemporary art not only focuses on the form and connotation of art itself but also pays deep attention to the interaction and influence between art and society and culture (Hesmondhalgh & Saha, 2013). By incorporating traditional elements, contemporary art offers a way to innovate and preserve these heritages, promoting vibrant cultural exchange and sustainable development (Bortolotto, 2012). Therefore, exploring how to respect and preserve traditions while exploring their new roles and meanings in contemporary society has become an urgent question to be answered.
How would you actively encourage change?
Interdisciplinary co-operation
Interactive experience design
Digital display
As the ‘Documenta’ art exhibition has shown, contemporary art can explore important socio-political issues including globalization, post-colonialism, and environmental issues. This exhibition of blueprints will draw on the practice of ‘Documenta’ to explore the relevance of blueprints to these global issues through art, encouraging the public to consider the role and challenges of traditional crafts in contemporary society. At the same time, ‘Documenta’ emphasizes dialogue and understanding between cultures. As an intangible cultural heritage that carries rich cultural and historical information, a blueprint can also be a medium for cross-cultural exchange. I can thus show how blueprints are understood and recreated in different cultures and times, and their significance in the context of globalization today. (https://www.documenta.de/)
Who would you collaborate with to facilitate this change?
Partners include local and international artists, museums, educational institutions, community craftspeople, and technology companies from different disciplines, exploring the fusion of tradition and modernity in blueprints. This interdisciplinary collaboration aims not only to pass on the skills but also to create an immersive experience for the audience through new technologies such as AR/VR (Schubert & Merrill, 2021).
How would you ensure that these changes had longevity?
Academic research: utilizing postgraduate status to undertake in-depth research exploring the significance, conservation, and contemporary adaptations of this type of heritage, contributing new insights to the academic field and the wider community.
Interdisciplinary collaborations: working with different departments such as Anthropology, Art, and Technology to explore innovative approaches to conservation and contemporary artistic expression.
Utilizing University platforms: utilize the University’s exhibitions, conferences, and digital platforms to showcase your findings and the cultural importance of your subject to a wider audience.
Community engagement: work with communities and craftspeople to document their stories and crafts, ensuring their active participation and benefit from their knowledge.
In his work ‘The Ethics of Dust’, Jorge Otero-Pailos explores the ethics of cultural heritage preservation through artistic means, demonstrating how cultural preservation can be creatively integrated with contemporary art. Drawing inspiration from this case, my exhibition will demonstrate how blueprints can be preserved and handed down through the means of contemporary art, ensuring that this intangible cultural heritage can continue to develop and maintain its cultural value in the context of globalization.
What would be your guiding principle?
Respect and safeguarding: Ensuring a deep understanding of and respect for the intangible cultural heritage, while taking measures to preserve its originality and authenticity.
Education and dissemination: conveying heritage’s cultural and historical value through exhibitions, raising public awareness and educational value.
Innovation and integration: exploring new ways of combining traditional culture with contemporary art to promote innovation and sustainable development of culture (Marstine, 2017).
Participation and Sharing: Encourage community and audience participation to promote cultural exchange and knowledge sharing.
References
Bourriaud, N. (2002). Relational Aesthetics. Les Presses du Réel.
Bortolotto, C. (Ed.). (2012). Intangible Heritage and the Museum: New Perspectives on Cultural Preservation. Left Coast Press.
Foster, H. et al. (2005) ART SINCE 1900: MODERNISM, ANTIMODERNISM, POSTMODERNISM. Canadian Art 22 (2) p.36-.
Haines, C. (2021) Curating Under Pressure: International Perspectives on Negotiating Conflict and Upholding Integrity, Janet Marstine and Svetlana Mintcheva (eds). Journal of curatorial studies. [Online] 10 (1), 135–138.
Hesmondhalgh, D., & Saha, A. (2013). “Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Production”. Popular Communication, 11(3), 179-195.
Kurin, R. (2007). “Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in the 2003 UNESCO Convention: A Critical Appraisal”. Museum International, 59(1-2), 66-77.
Marstine, J. (2011) The Routledge Companion to Museum Ethics: Redefining Ethics for the Twenty-First Century Museum. 1st edition. [Online]. Florence: Routledge.
Smith, L. (2006). Uses of Heritage. Routledge.
Zhang, Q., & Sun, Y. (2014). “Innovation in Traditional Craftsmanship: Case Study of Chinese Blue and White Porcelain“. Journal of Design, Business & Society, 1(1), 35-50.
