Symposium: Contemporary Chinese Culture & The Future of Ink Art With Professor Pan Gongkai 潘公凱教授 and Professor Cheng Pei-kai 鄭培凱教授 Moderator: Ms Catherine Kwai, Founder of Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery

The symposium, conducted by the artist Professor Pan Gongkai 潘公凱教授 and Professor Cheng Pei-kai 鄭培凱教授 will explore the future of ink art in view of the present situation of contemporary Chinese culture, and with reference to the development of Professor Pan Gongkai’s ink art and vision.

Pan is regarded by many scholars within and outside China as the “Renaissance Man” of China today. He has spent over half a century learning traditional Chinese culture and art, and is an expert on the subject. He has also studied Western culture, arts and aesthetics, making comparisons between them with their Chinese counterparts, for the purpose of exploring the direction of future development of Chinese arts. Apart from the analysis of theories, he devotes himself to creating ink works with excellent traditional brush and ink techniques, which are grand in spirit and yet elegant in mood, going far beyond the reach of the conventional regime. In recent years, Pan has incorporated new media art such as video and installations, to further widen the spectrum of traditional ink as an art medium. Therefore, for an exploration of the future of ink art, the path taken by Pan would be inspiring.

This symposium is jointly organised by the University of Hong Kong Museum Society and the Chinese Civilisation Centre of The City University of Hong Kong, and with special thanks to Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery. Professor Pan's works will be exhibited at Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery from 25 November 2017 to 24 January 2018.

Speakers
Professor Pan Gongkai is the son of 20th century Chinese ink painting master Pan Tianshou (1897–1971). He was the President of Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing (2001–2014) and the President of China Academy of Art in Hangzhou (1996–2001). He has written influential books, e.g. “The Boundary of Modern Art” and “The Road of Chinese Modern Art”. His works are exhibited constantly at important platforms within and outside China, including the 54th and the 56th Venice Biennale. His works are collected by important museums, including Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, USA; The Frye Art Museum, Seattle, USA and National Art Museum of China, Beijing.

Professor Cheng Pei-kai received his Ph.D in history from Yale University. He taught at the State University of New York, Yale University, and Pace University, before founding the Chinese Civilization Centre at City University of Hong Kong in 1998. Awarded Merit of Honour by Hong Kong government in 2016, he is now Chairman of Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee.

Professor Cheng has published more than 30 books, covering various academic subjects on Tang Xianzu, transcultural aesthetics, tea culture, Chinese export porcelain, and English translation of Chinese classics. He is also the founder of the "Chinese Culture Quarterly" since 1986.

香港大學博物館學會及香港城市大學中國文化中心 將聯合主辦「當世中國文化與水墨藝術的未來」研討會。得到季豐軒畫廊全力支持，研討會由潘公凱教授 (藝術家、前中央美術學院院長及中國美術學院校長) 及鄭培凱教授 (香港非物質文化遺產諮詢委員會主席、團結香港基金顧問)主講，季豐軒畫廊創辦人季玉年女士主持。潘教授的作品將會在2017年11月25日至2018年1月24日於季豐軒畫廊展出。

是次研討會借鑒潘公凱水墨藝術的發展和視野，探索在當世中國文化的局面中，水墨藝術的未來。潘公凱被中外學者譽為中國當代的「文藝復興人」。他對中國傳統文化藝術累積逾半世紀的修養，瞭如指掌。同時，他亦深入研究西方文化藝術及美學，從多維通盤視角，比對中西異同，探索中國藝術的未來。除理論外，他身體力行，以爐火純青的傳統筆墨功底，創作出氣魄恢宏的水墨作品，既不失文人氣韻，但遠超傳統眼界。近年，他更採用錄像、裝置藝術等新媒體，進一步拓展傳統水墨的語境。故此，要探索水墨藝術的未來，潘公凱所走的路有難得的啟示。

潘公凱教授
生於1947年，是二十世紀中國書畫大師潘天壽（1897-1971）之子。曾任中央美術學院院長（2001–2014）及中國美術學院院長（1996–2001）。著作包括《現代藝術的邊界》、《中國現代美術之路》。作品在中外重要平台不斷展覽，包括第54屆及第56屆威尼斯雙年展。亦獲重要美術館收藏，包括三藩市亞洲藝術博物館、美國西雅圖弗萊藝術博物館及中國美術館。

鄭培凱教授
臺灣大學外文系畢業，耶魯大學歷史學博士，哈佛大學博士後。曾任教於紐約州立大學、耶魯大學、佩斯大學、台灣大學、新竹清華等校，1998年到香港城市大學創立中國文化中心。香港非物質文化遺產諮詢委員會主席，2016年獲頒香港政府榮譽勛章。著作三十餘種，所涉學術範圍甚廣，以文化意識史、文化審美、經典翻譯及文化變遷與交流為主。主編《九州學林》季刊，近作有《湯顯祖：戲夢人生與文化求索》、《多元文化與審美情趣》等。