Aesthetic education classes for children and teenagers by Professor Zhu Qingsheng

Peking University, April 14, 2023: Curated by Professor Zhu Qingsheng from Peking University’s Department of History, and organized by the China Annual Art Critics Assembly and PKU Centre for Visual Studies, the “40 Years of Chinese Photography” exhibition, which is being held in Gulangyu, Xiamen City, will continue until May 18, 2023.

The art history major of the PKU Department of History has long focused on contemporary archival research, of which photography is a significant part. “40 Years of Chinese Photography” is the culmination of academic research in cooperation with the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, as well as the joint efforts of 1,000 photographers. With photographs as the medium for iconological research, the exhibition is testament to the achievements of Peking University in the field of visual studies and demonstrates the latest achievements of the newly-established Graphics Laboratory.

“The advent of photography in 1839 completely changed the status of Chinese and Western art history, and also made a radical change in humanity’s visual history,” said Professor Zhu. He explains that research into the past 40 years of Chinese photography has brought about substantial innovative progress. Peking University has not only added a specialized photographic archive to its Chinese Modern Art Archive, but also expanded the focus of photographic research to encompass film and new media.

Relying on the image research of Peking University and the joint efforts of teachers and students, “40 Years of Chinese Photography” also provides aesthetic education classes for children and teenagers, which makes the exhibition particularly accessible to the general public, despite its academic nature. It is also this down-to-earth aspect of the exhibition that has garnered both domestic and international acclaim, attracting many international students. “The exhibition is like a time shuttle showing China's magnificent historical and social changes. I would like to take more photos for memories’ sake,” said Ali, an international student from Pakistan.

Highlights from the exhibition:




Written by: Goh Yi Ru
Edited by: Yang Ruoxiang
Photos by: Fujian Television Station
Sources: PKU News (Chinese)