Works with a focus on religion at the 4th Xinjiang · China International Art Biennial exhibition in Urumqi, the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. /Jan Oberg
Works with a focus on religion at the 4th Xinjiang · China International Art Biennial exhibition in Urumqi, the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. /Jan Oberg
A small collection of exquisite sketches and portraits caught my attention. Do you see Zhou Enlai?
Museum visitors today mostly see artworks on their mobiles. I do, too. Otherwise, I could not share these with you! But most people do not write articles and use their shots like I do here.
Perhaps the reason so many people view art through the lens on their phones rather than with their own eyes is that they feel they can “see” more in a short time, can take the art home with them, and view it at their leisure. The reason could also be to share them with friends and family who were not there. There may be many reasons.
It is hard to say what people – even interested people – perceive and reflect on while shooting pictures while they walk through an exhibition.
The Chinese are no different from Westerners in this respect. They take the photo first and perhaps view it later. I guess the average time devoted to each artwork is some five seconds.
Then, there is another purpose that has nothing to do with art. That is about shooting selfies and other images with artwork as a backdrop.
This one is interesting, at least for me, as an elderly Western gentleman. A young woman was taking selfies while moving around the museum, but she used an app that allowed her to manipulate her looks or even change her persona.
These are top-rated beauty camera apps, where you’ll learn that “Chinese beauty camera apps are mobile applications that use advanced technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the user’s appearance in real-time. These apps offer various features, such as skin smoothing, face slimming, eye enlargement and makeup filters, to create a perfect selfie. The user can also adjust the intensity of the effects to achieve their desired look.
Chinese beauty camera apps are incredibly popular, with millions of users downloading and using them daily. These apps have become an essential tool for Chinese consumers who are increasingly interested in beauty and self-expression.
While I was looking at some paintings, the young lady approached me and asked by way of gestures whether it was okay for her girlfriend to take a photo of her with me. “Of course, you’re welcome,” I said, and her friend took two to three shots of us. Then I gestured back that I wanted to take one of her, and these two snapshots are what came out of that maximum one-minute encounter across culture and generation. Afterward, she got shy or could not help laughing. I’m not sure which.
But what a beautiful attitude to a stranger. Sadly for me, she did not speak English, and I speak no Chinese. Anyhow, this is the kind of attitude a visitor to China will meet again and again.
Culture, politics and artful bridge building
There is a desperate need for dialogue and bridge building. In a few years, Xinjiang could become one of the world’s leading multicultural hubs. It is multi-ethnic and multicultural and thrives visibly in terms of socioeconomic development, not the least, thanks to huge investments from the central government in Beijing.
Add to that Xinjiang has eight neighbors, amazing natural beauty and a rich history related to the historic Silk Roads and is the gateway from China to the rest of the world via the New Silk Roads or what is called The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which China initiated in 2013.
Today, it is humanity’s, and probably history’s, largest cooperative effort with 140 plus participating countries – just not those we call the Western world, NATO and the EU.
As a peace researcher and art photographer, I work to build bridges, engage in citizen diplomacy and further dialogue. Xinjiang is very open and keenly interested in building bridges with people in the West at all levels. I know that from conversations at all levels, including the province’s leadership.
I’d like to suggest that people in the art world take some concrete steps to build art bridges between China, Xinjiang in particular, and the West – even though Western politicians at the moment prefer confrontation.
“The times they are a-changing” and so are the spaces. The young Xinjiang woman above is destined to live a good life in a very culturally dynamic society. I see modern art treasures at this magnificent museum as an indicator of that better, emerging future.
And why not? The synergy between rapidly growing innovation and production on the one hand and the art world on the other has changed the world before.
