China News Service, Tianshui, Gansu, September 14th (Reporter Ying Ni) How can China's modern and contemporary sculptures learn the essence of traditional cave temple sculptures? How to construct an independent knowledge system of Chinese sculpture on this basis? The "Oriental Smile Spanning Thousand Years - Maijishan Sculpture Forum 2026" was held in Tianshui, Gansu from September 11 to 13, with the general theme of "Construction of an independent knowledge system of Chinese sculpture - historical resources and contemporary paths". More than 100 experts and scholars from more than 40 cultural and museum units, universities and scientific research institutes gathered together to try to answer these questions from multiple perspectives.
Professor Ma Tianyu, Secretary of the Party Branch of the Sculpture Department of Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts and Director of the Grotto Temple Art Institute of Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts, said that there has been no research focusing on the sculptures of the Grotto Temple. This was the original intention of Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts to launch the Maijishan Sculpture Forum in 2017. The cave temple sculptures have a very large amount of remains among ancient Chinese sculptures, and span a wide range of ages. The contents of the sculptures are all-inclusive and the information content is also very large.
"Our predecessors returned from studying abroad and brought with them the knowledge system of Western sculpture. For a long time, we have used Western ways of viewing and thinking to teach and practice. However, when we really delve into the remains of these ancient Chinese sculptures, we will find that it is difficult for Western theories to explain the art of ancient Chinese sculpture clearly. For sculpture art workers and educators, it is our responsibility and obligation to construct an independent knowledge system of Chinese sculpture." Ma Tianyu said.
Sun Zhenhua, secretary-general of the Chinese Sculpture Society and professor at the China Academy of Art, said that China's study and acceptance of Western sculptures is not just a simple copying, but taking them as objects, starting from its own reality and needs, discovering its own traditions and characteristics, and carrying out constructive responses and transformations on this basis to construct the subjectivity of Chinese sculpture culture. The impact of Western sculpture on China is not only that it provides a different knowledge system and sculpture language, but more importantly, it provides a cultural reference. The proposal of the concept of "freehand sculpture" is a major theoretical contribution to Chinese art in the 21st century. It has changed the international aphasia of Chinese sculpture theory in modern times, enriched the discourse system of sculpture theory, and Chinese artists have also begun to participate in the construction of international sculpture discourse.
Sun Zhenhua believes that Chinese sculptors engaged in the creation of freehand sculptures should actively go out, use their works to speak and communicate with their works, so that the freehand sculptures from the ancient Chinese cultural tradition can be transformed into new Chinese contemporary knowledge discourse, and become part of the world sculpture culture that can be created and shared together.
Zhao Lichun, academic director of the Xiangtangshan Grottoes Research Institute, has been thinking about the connection between ancient grottoes and contemporary life. "I saw the creations of some sculptors taking place in the deserted Gobi Desert. When a thousand people came to see them, they had a dialogue with a thousand people. This continued to attract tourists and changed the space. Finally, it became a 4A-level scenic spot. Modern public art develops outwards; and the construction of cave temples is exemplified by the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. When Monk Le Zun first excavated here, he did not expect that it would continue to develop and eventually form a cultural treasure house. This may also be regarded as ancient public art, but in ancient times, these caves were built to practice or place faith, and this may be the biggest difference between the two. "
According to Dong Shubing, professor of the Sculpture Department of Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts and director of the Urban-Rural Integrated Development Institute of Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts, China’s independent knowledge system of sculpture has always been there, with an uninterrupted lineage from ancient times to the present, but what is most lacking now is theoretical refinement. "Every time we discuss ancient sculptures, we often use literary descriptions, such as plump faces, robes and belts, etc. I think the evolution of styles should be explained based on the background of the times. What are the characteristics of each era? What are the key points? I think this requires theoretical workers to explain from a professional perspective based on the excellent traditional Chinese culture."
The forum has been held for the sixth time this year. Ma Tianyu said that after nearly ten years of accumulation, the forum has gradually grown from a professional and relatively niche platform to a national-level platform. Especially this year, the China Cultural Relics Conservation Foundation paid attention to the academic achievements of the previous five sessions. Seeing the unique academic positioning and public value of the Maijishan Sculpture Forum, it included this forum in a special public welfare funding project. The participants of this year’s forum include art theorists, archaeologists, sculptors and experts in the digitalization of cultural heritage. In the future, the forum will also strengthen the interdisciplinary trend in the field of cultural heritage, build an independent knowledge system of Chinese sculpture from a broader research perspective based on tradition, find an independent, confident and self-reliant future for Chinese sculpture, and convey the concept of Chinese sculpture to the world.
The event is hosted by the Dunhuang Academy and the Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University, and hosted by the Maijishan Grottoes Art Research Institute, the Sculpture Department of the Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University, and the Cave Temple Art Research Institute of the Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts.
