Academic Host Liu Haofeng Explores “Understanding the East” at “New Context New Year Exhibition”

Academic Host Liu Haofeng Explores “Understanding the East” at “New Context New Year Exhibition”

On December 31, 2023, the founder of Our Nation and Learning, renowned philosopher, critic, artist, and nominee for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, Liu Haofeng, served as the academic host at the Beijing Sheng Jia Art Center. The event focused on ‘Resetting to Zero – Liu Dongfeng’s New Context Artworks,’ showcasing over thirty pieces of the contemporary new imagery by the representative artist Liu Dongfeng, particularly his ‘Spiritual Enigma’ series.

Ms. Ye Gaoya, the curator, sincerely thanked the guests for their presence and support. Special gratitude was extended to Ms. Liu Ting, daughter of Liu Shaoqi and Chairwoman of Sungari International Auction Co., Ltd., for her strong support for this exhibition. Ms. Liu Ting remarked, “The pinnacle pursuit of Chinese cultural art emphasizes the concept of the invisible within the visible.’ As an artist, Liu Dongfeng’s expression carries a certain mission, portraying a liberated imagery through continuous writing, much like the rhythmic flow of the universe and nature. In Liu Dongfeng’s works, the artist presents his understanding of the world, insights into nature, and personal care. He transforms intention into unintentional strokes, creating art that is like mirrors, allowing us to see ourselves within.”

During the event, academic host Liu Haofeng first analyzed the current spiritual dilemma in art. He stated that any form of artistic presentation and expression is fundamentally a language of thought. The highest level of art is not only the uniqueness of its external form but also the depth and value of the thought language it points to. He questioned whether art could transcend the challenges of post-modern nihilism and the absence of subjective aesthetic values, even reaching a unity with cosmic reason, elevating aesthetics to the cultural epitome of “art as a carrier of Dao.”

Contemporary Chinese art is currently confronting a spiritual crisis in language, a consensus that resonates widely. The once vibrant contemporary art scene, with time settling in, has seen the liberation of artistic forms leading to a fragmented and dispersed pattern. The spiritual aesthetics find themselves ensnared in a nihilistic dilemma, and the art history seems challenging to continue, as if aesthetic history has come to an abrupt halt. Nevertheless, history is an eternal flow, and culture and civilization will progress with their own logic. Dialectics of history tell us that this implies a major turning point for the history of aesthetics and art.

Liu Haofeng went on to review the spiritual context and characteristics of the European Renaissance, highlighting that a modern language rooted in Eastern culture and a global perspective are essential to address the crises of our time. He pointed out that a prominent feature of the European Renaissance was the separation of humans from the embrace of God, elevating human reason to a new deity and replacing the medieval era centered on God. This marked the beginning of the European Enlightenment and the era of industrial and electrical revolutions. The contemporary cultural and artistic renaissance aims to use the language of science and the logic of mathematics to clearly define the relationship between individuals, the divine, the universe, and God, enabling each individual to precisely understand the concept of unity between heaven and man and how to achieve it. The contemporary Eastern cultural and artistic renaissance strives to express the relationship between heaven and man through artistic works, conveying imaginative and accurate information to the audience, imparting aesthetic and artistic values that align with the truth.

In an interview with the press, Liu Haofeng further discussed the three mathematical relationships between humans, the universe, and the supreme being, which he believes are a fundamental truth laying the important rational foundation for the revival of Eastern culture, propelling a global renaissance in the arts.

Firstly, human existence is seen as an infinite dynamic system within the vast cosmic system. The principle of Cantor’s set theory, which states that two infinite sets correspond one-to-one, proves that the spiritual movement of individual thoughts contains as much information as the entire universe.

Secondly, the paradox of set theory, known as “Russell’s paradox,” discovered by Bertrand Russell, also proves that in two infinite set systems, subsets contain as much information as the mother set. As children of heaven and earth, the essence of heaven and earth, each individual as an infinite subset of spiritual movement contains as much information as the universal mother set. This verifies that the concept of “My mind is the universe, and the universe is my mind” is a rational scientific understanding of the universe.

Thirdly, as a component of the grand cosmic system, humans must absorb nourishment from the fundamental essence of the universe to blossom and bear fruit, to create and develop into a complete celestial body within the void. This mathematical-geometric relationship is like two concentric circles, with rays emanating from the center corresponding to each other. It demonstrates that the wisdom of Mahayana Buddhism is a rational science of the universe. The perfection of the bodhi mind in Buddhism, the compassionate heart of the Quran, the love in the Bible, and the Daoist philosophy of non-action are all expressions of the cosmic life science.

These three mathematical principles decode the cosmic code hidden within the core wisdom of Chinese culture, “unity of heaven and man.” It enables the world to accurately comprehend Eastern culture, decipher the universal values of Chinese culture and civilization. Its emergence can potentially resolve global religious conflicts and conflicts between Eastern and Western cultures. It provides theoretical support for constructing a culturally diverse yet unified global village and lays a scientific cultural foundation for achieving a shared human destiny.

Liu Haofeng believes that Liu Dongfeng’s artistic works resonate with people because, in a sense, they portray the intrinsic relationship between humans and the universe. The artistic construction serves as a holographic channel to the universe, abstractly expressing the logical relationships inherent in this culture. His series, titled Spiritual Enigma, is said to have been inspired by the mysterious experience of hearing the blood vessels’ movement when lying still due to illness. He passionately used colors and shapes to articulate this experience, forming a unique artistic style. The fundamental technique in his works is a spiral brushstroke, sometimes densely opaque, sometimes with clear veins, at times vivid in color, and occasionally hiding in profound mystery. Yet, each presentation showcases the universal trajectories of existence and demise from different perspectives. As the Dao De Jing states, “Profound, it seems like the abyss, and the spiral never rests.” Artworks, as reflections of an artist’s inner world, consciously or subconsciously, are intertwined with one’s mental state and spiritual understanding. Liu Dongfeng’s works are based on a personal experience of the real connection between the individual and the universe, creating new artworks that integrate his art into the contemporary wave of cultural and artistic renaissance, making him a representative artist of the new era.

The exhibition’s distinguished guests included Feng Chengjiang, President of the China Eastern Culture Research Association in the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau; Yuan Zhihua, Deputy Director of the China Cultural Education Research Center; Wang Jingzhong from Xinhua News Agency; Yi Zhengxiang, Chairman of Beijing Yiqi Technology Co., Ltd.; Shang Hongzhi from China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation; Jiang Tao, Professor at Beijing University of Technology; Huang Kaitang, Researcher at the Research Center for Difficult Cases of China University of Political Science and Law and Director of the China Law Supervision Investigation Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Wang Jiashui, Researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yang Ke, Artist and Entrepreneur; Gu Fangfei, Chairman of Beijing Yashang Culture Media Co., Ltd.; Huang Deming, Senior Reporter at the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Wang Fating, Vice President of China National Petroleum and Gas Group; Ren Xiaoru, Former Secretary-General of the China Calligraphy and Painting Association and Director of the China Zen Art Calligraphy Academy; Wang Zhe, China Cultural Media Group; Liu Shuangrong, Chairman of Meige Joint Holding Chad Petroleum Company; Zhang Mei, Renowned Collector; Liu Qun from Wenhua Capital Group, among others. They all actively participated in the opening ceremony and exhibition viewing activities.