{"id":6694,"date":"2025-11-15T11:27:52","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T11:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/?p=6694"},"modified":"2025-11-15T11:33:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T11:33:18","slug":"ukta-conversation-the-indefinable-jiang-qiong-er-concluded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/2025\/11\/15\/6694\/","title":{"rendered":"UKTA Conversation | \u201cThe Indefinable Jiang Qiong Er\u201d Concluded"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On 8 November 2025<\/strong>, the\u00a0UK Tsinghua Association (UKTA)<\/strong>, in collaboration with\u00a0Asia Society France<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Waddington Custot Gallery<\/strong>, hosted an in-depth public conversation titled\u00a0\u201cThe Indefinable Jiang Qiong Er: A Cross-Cultural Dialogue between East and West\u201d.\u00a0<\/strong>The event unfolded within the gallery\u2019s space amidst the major solo exhibition\u00a0Guardians of Time \/ Gardiens du Temps<\/em><\/strong>, drawing more than fifty guests from the United Kingdom, China, France, and other countries across the arts, academia, media, and cultural institutions. The dialogue invited participants to reflect on how artistic practice and cross-cultural exchange can foster shared values and mutual understanding at a time of global uncertainty.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The event opened with a series of remarks from the organizing partners.<\/span><\/p>\n

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St\u00e9phane Custot, owner of London\u2019s Waddington Custot Gallery,<\/strong>\u00a0revisited the gallery\u2019s storied legacy since its founding in 1958 and its enduring place in the history of modern art in Britain and Europe. From the beginning, the gallery championed\u00a0cultural dialogue across borders<\/strong>; in the 1980s, it played a trailblazing role in\u00a0introducing leading American artists to Europe, reshaping the contours of the transatlantic art world<\/strong>. Custot recalled\u00a0his first encounter with Jiang Qiong Er in Shanghai in 2002,<\/strong>\u00a0an encounter that left him deeply struck by her imagination and electric presence. It was, he said, a spark that made him hope for collaboration for many years. Their reunion today has finally given rise to this exhibition,\u00a0a celebration of artistic exchange that threads together East and West, antiquity and the contemporary moment.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

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Victor Custot, Board Director of Waddington Custot<\/strong>, echoed this sentiment,\u00a0expressing the gallery\u2019s profound honor in presenting Jiang Qiong Er\u2019s first solo exhibition in London<\/strong>. As an artist whose voice resonates strongly in both China and France, Jiang holds a distinctive position in the global art landscape; offering a London stage for her work, he noted, is both meaningful and necessary.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

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Carmen Hu, Waddington Custot\u2019s Head of Business Development for Asia,<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0spoke of the privilege of co-curating this exhibition with Jiang Qiong Er and of the\u00a0resilience and conviction required to remain true to one\u2019s artistic path<\/strong>. Hu emphasized the\u00a0gallery\u2019s long-standing ties with Asia and its relationships with generations of Chinese artists<\/strong>, reaffirming Waddington Custot\u2019s commitment to championing Chinese artistic voices on the world stage.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

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Speaking on behalf of Asia Society France, Pengfei Chen<\/strong>\u00a0underscored the organization\u2019s enduring dedication to\u00a0fostering mutual understanding between cultures<\/strong>. He expressed the Society\u2019s delight in joining Jiang Qiong Er\u2019s London exhibition and dialogue, and shared hopes for continued collaboration with the UKTA and Waddington Custot to\u00a0further strengthen cultural bridges between China, France, and the United Kingdom.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

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The evening culminated in\u00a0a thematic conversation<\/strong>\u00a0moderated by\u00a0Gao Yuan, Vice President and Secretary-General of UKTA<\/strong>, who engaged\u00a0Jiang Qiong Er<\/strong>\u00a0in a thoughtful and heartfelt dialogue across cultures. Gao reflected on\u00a0UKTA\u2019s ambitious work in the arts in recent years<\/strong>\u2014from the inaugural London Tsinghua Alumni Art Exhibition to the UKTA Conversation series\u2014initiatives that have\u00a0expanded the horizons of cross-cultural artistic exchange and helped elevate the global presence of Chinese artists.<\/strong>\u00a0As a distinguished cultural interlocutor and a model for younger generations, Jiang shared the insights and experiences that have shaped her artistic journey, offering inspiration to emerging Chinese artists around the world.<\/p>\n

Framed by the theme \u201cCivilization and Consensus<\/strong>,\u201d their dialogue explored the role of the Tsinghua Alumni community in the arts, the possibilities for deeper cross-cultural understanding, and the civic significance of art in contemporary society. Both Gao and Jiang emphasized that the human longing for beauty, emotion, and spiritual meaning transcends the boundaries of culture. Instead of dwelling on what divides us, they urged, we should seek\u00a0the common ground that binds us<\/strong>, and\u00a0allow art to stand as a bridge between civilizations, illuminating the shared values that define our humanity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Jiang Qiong Er in conversation with Gao Yuan<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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Jiang began by emphasising the formative influence of\u00a0artistic lineage<\/strong>. What one inherits, she noted, is\u00a0not only technique but also character:<\/strong>\u00a0qualities such as sincerity, courage, respect, and humility become the invisible core of artistic expression. She shared two pieces of wisdom passed down by her grandfather,\u00a0\u201cRemain humble, and take good care of your body\u201d,<\/strong>\u00a0teachings that continue to anchor both her life and her creative practice.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a cross-cultural creator who works extensively in Europe and China, Jiang focuses on\u00a0commonalities over differences<\/strong>. Rather than becoming preoccupied by cultural difference, she encouraged\u00a0\u201ccourage and openness to inspiration beyond cultural boundaries.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0She also offered candid reflections on how Western audiences encounter her work, observing that art becomes a rare space where instinct, emotion, and spirituality transcend linguistic boundaries.\u00a0\u201cArt cannot end conflict,\u201d she said, \u201cbut it can open a window, open a door, and begin dialogue.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The conversation also turned to Jiang\u2019s broader\u00a0philosophy of life<\/strong>.<\/strong>\u00a0She described her creative\u00a0<\/span>routine in\u00a0her countryside studio near Bordeaux<\/strong>, where she works in a state that unifies body, mind, and spirit. Her practice is rooted in rigorous pre-research and continual experimentation with materials, while her creative energy is sustained by curiosity, childlike wonder, and the inspiration she receives from her children and colleagues.\u00a0Life, she observed, is never a sequence of cause-and-effect milestones; rather, \u201clove, family, and achievement are not linear but interwoven.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>She emphasised the natural complementarity between men and women, both in creativity and in strength.\u00a0For her, the three great treasures of life are family, health, and time \u2014 and emotion, she added, is \u201cthe most luxurious gift.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Running parallel to the conversation,\u00a0Jiang Qiong Er\u2019s solo exhibition\u00a0Guardians of Time \/ Gardiens du Temps<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0reframes\u00a0time<\/strong>\u00a0as the most fundamental yet intangible material of artistic creation.\u00a0Each work serves as a \u201ccontainer of time,\u201d translating the invisible passage of moments into visual, tactile, and emotional form.\u00a0<\/strong>At a moment marked by global fragmentation, Jiang proposes the idea of\u00a0\u201cConsensus Art\u201d,\u00a0<\/strong>an artistic approach grounded in amplifying what unites us across cultures.<\/span>
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Jiang Qiong Er leading an private gallery tour for guests (swipe for more)<\/span><\/p>\n

At the centre of the exhibition is the\u00a0Twelve Guardians<\/strong><\/em>, a group of hybrid beings drawn not from the Chinese zodiac but from the mythic genealogies of ancient Egypt, Maya, China, and India. These\u00a0cross-civilizational creatures<\/strong>, appearing for the first time as newly imagined twenty-first century life forms, embody twelve universal human values such as\u00a0courage, peace, freedom, kindness, authenticity, coexistence, and the shared continuity of time itself<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A glimpse of the exhibition at Waddington Custot Gallery (swipe for more)<\/span><\/p>\n

The event concluded in an atmosphere of warm and open exchange, with guests continuing conversations in the exhibition space about art, cultural collaboration, and the future of global dialogue.\u00a0The gathering showcased UKTA\u2019s and Asia Society France\u2019s shared commitment to fostering deeper understanding between cultures, while contributing fresh intellectual and artistic energy to London\u2019s contemporary art scene.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jiang Qiong Er\u2019s solo exhibition\u00a0Guardians of Time \/ Gardiens du Temps\u00a0<\/em>opened on 7 November 2025 at Waddington Custot Gallery in London and runs through 23 December 2025.
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Group photo of speakers and attendees<\/span><\/p>\n

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NetMind.AI\u662fAI\u89e3\u51b3\u65b9\u6848\u7684\u9886\u5148\u63d0\u4f9b\u5546, \u4e3a\u5168\u7403\u4e2a\u4eba\u548c\u4f01\u4e1a\u63d0\u4f9b\u6700\u5148\u8fdb\u7684\u6280\u672f\u3002\u81f4\u529b\u4e8e\u5f00\u53d1\u521b\u65b0\u548c\u5b9e\u7528\u7684\u89e3\u51b3\u65b9\u6848,NetMind.AI\u7684\u4e13\u5bb6\u56e2\u961f\u5728\u5927\u6570\u636e\u5206\u6790\u3001\u673a\u5668\u5b66\u4e60\u548c\u81ea\u7136\u8bed\u8a00\u5904\u7406\u65b9\u9762\u62e5\u6709\u4e30\u5bcc\u7684\u7ecf\u9a8c\u3002\u8be5\u516c\u53f8\u81f4\u529b\u4e8e\u7ad9\u5728\u5feb\u901f\u53d1\u5c55\u7684AI\u9886\u57df\u7684\u6700\u524d\u6cbf, \u4e0d\u65ad\u63a2\u7d22\u589e\u957f\u548c\u8fdb\u6b65\u7684\u65b0\u673a\u9047\u3002NetMind.AI\u662f\u4e00\u5bb6\u7531\u6e05\u534e\u6821\u53cb\u521b\u7acb\u7684\u4eba\u5de5\u667a\u80fd\u79d1\u6280\u516c\u53f8\u3002NetMind.AI\u603b\u90e8\u4f4d\u4e8e\u82f1\u56fd\u4f26\u6566\uff0c\u5e76\u5728\u7f8e\u56fd\u3001\u82f1\u56fd\u3001\u4e2d\u56fd\u8bbe\u6709\u5b50\u516c\u53f8\u3002<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0 On 8 November 2025, the\u00a0UK Tsinghua Association (UKTA), in collaboration with\u00a0Asia Society France\u00a0and\u00a0Waddington Custot Gallery, hosted an in-depth public conversation titled\u00a0\u201cThe Indefinable Jiang Qiong Er: A Cross-Cultural Dialogue between East and West\u201d.\u00a0The event unfolded within the gallery\u2019s space amidst the major solo exhibition\u00a0Guardians of Time \/ Gardiens du Temps, drawing more than fifty guests […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6694"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6694\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6731,"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6694\/revisions\/6731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsinghua.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}