An exhibition focusing on Chinese and Polish contemporary material art exchanges sponsored by Tsinghua University opened online on Tuesday.

Themed "Material Thinking," the exhibition is the third edition of the Chinese Contemporary Material Art Exchange Exhibition series, showcasing more than 100 artworks created by 76 artists from China and Poland.

According to Peng Gang, vice president of Tsinghua University, the exhibition selected material art as the entry point for international cultural exchange based on three considerations. 

First, as a universal language of mankind, material is the most important medium in artistic creation. Heading back to materials means returning to the starting point of art and bringing new forms of expression and narrative methods to materials to maintain communication and dialogue on a common basis. It also promotes in-depth exchanges and understanding between countries, and allows for sharing and learning from the advancements of different civilizations. 

Second, materialslead to a materialistic way of thinking. While respecting the subjectivity and initiative of materials, artists should pay close attention to the interactions, ties and resonances between individual life and materials, and carry forward the development concept of post-humanist ecological harmony in the artistic creation mode of integrating material and life.

Third, materialsbring about different perspectives. This makes it possible for marginalized groups to be heard, including voices from Asia, developing countries, women, various regions and ethnic minorities, and also makes it possible to reconstruct and understand contemporary art.

Wojciech Zajączkowski, Poland's ambassador to China, said that the exhibition not only gives a large number of artists from both Poland and China the opportunity to show their artworks, but also helps them attract and inspire larger audiences. The longstanding cooperation between Polish artists and Tsinghua University displays the strong ties between the two countries. Zajączkowski concluded by saying that the exhibition gives us confidence that the friendship between the two countries will continue to flourish and bear fruitful results. 

The exhibition is sponsored by Tsinghua University, organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art under the AADTHU, and academically supported by the Tsinghua Art and International Material Art Study (IMAS).