Join us on August 19th at 3:00 PM for an exclusive art dialogue at Guardian Art Center as we invite distinguished guests: Professor Dong Qiang, the Dean of Yenching Academy of Peking University, Boya Distinguished Professor, and Chairman of the Fu Lei Translation and Publication Award committee; Mr. Xu Lei, the renowned contemporary artist and curator; and Ms. Xiao Ge, the curator and Chief Editor of Artifeng. The guest speakers will engage in an insightful discussion on the works and philosophical principles of Yves Klein. They will also share their views of Klein’s artistic creations within the context of his era and explore his significant impact on the history of art.

Guest Introduction

董强 Dong Qiang

The Dean of Yenching Academy of Peking University, Boya Distinguished Professor, and Chairman of the Fu Lei Translation and Publication Award committee, Professor Dong Qiang graduated from the Department of Western Languages at Peking University in 1987, majoring in French. He resided in France from 1988 to 2001, where he received his doctorate in French literature in 1997 and had the privilege of being mentored by the great master of world literature, Milan Kundera. Professor Dong’s prolific work includes more than twenty published and translated works, notable among them being “Dictionnaire De La Peinture”, “Francis Bacon: Logique De La Sensation” and “Théorie Du Nuage: Pour Une Histoire De La Peinture”. His extensive contributions to literature and translation have been recognized internationally. In 2009, he was awarded the French Order of Academic Palms as a Chevalier (Knight) by the French government. He was also a laureate of the prestigious La Grande Medaille de la Francophonie, awarded by the French Academy in 2013, and in 2015, he was decorated with the Knight of the Legion d'honneur of France by the French President. In 2016, Professor Dong was conferred the title of Honorary Doctor by the Free University of Brussels and was elected as a Lifetime Corresponding Member of l’Académie des Science Morales et Politiques, France.

徐累 Xu Lei

Xu Lei, a renowned contemporary artist, primarily engages in the creation of contemporary gongbi brush painting, as well as utilizing installations and video as mediums for his artistic expression. He is also proficient in art history research and critique. In the field of contemporary reconstitution of traditional aesthetics, his works are known for their blend of poetic and conceptual elements, making a significant impact. He has participated in many international exhibitions, including the “Pavilion of China at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia” and the “59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia”, as well as numerous significant academic exhibitions within China. His solo exhibitions have been hosted in prestigious institutions and galleries such as the National Museum of China, Suzhou Museum, Beijing’s Today Art Museum, and Marlborough Gallery (New York/Madrid).

肖戈Xiao Ge

Xiao Ge, a curator and Chief Editor of Artifeng, was born into an art family, and graduated from Middle School Affiliated to the China Academy of Art and then China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Xiao went to France and successively studied at Universite De Provence Aix-Marseille, Oil Painting and Inter Media Art Department of école nationale supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris, Ecole De Louisiana Chambre Syndicale De Louisiana Couture Parisienne and International Cultural Exchange Department of Université de Vincennes à Saint-Denis, where she received double bachelor’s degrees and double master’s degrees. She returned to China in 2009 and currently resides in Beijing. Xiao Ge embodies a human-centric approach to art. She integrates Eastern and Western cultural perspectives, presenting a non-binary, open way of viewing in her artistic practice. In 2014, she joined Phoenix Satellite Television Group as Co-Founder and Chief Editor of Artifeng, as well as Vice President of Phoenix TV Culture Link Company and Art Director at Phoenix Satellite Television. As a curator, she has held the position of Curator for the Shanghai Biennale Special Exhibitions—Zhongshan Park Project and, in 2013, served as the Curator of the “Grand Canal”, Collateral Event of the 55th International Art Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia, where her artistic endeavors contributed to that China’s Grand Canal was inscribed on the World Heritage List.