Little Fish Care - The Lively World of Qi Baishi, an exhibition jointly organized by the Beijing Fine Art Academy and the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and co-hosted by the Art Museum of BJAA, the Qi Baishi International Research Center, the Institute of Arts Administration and Education at CAFA, and the Virtual Curatorial and Aesthetic Education Teaching & Research Section of CAFA Art Museum, will be unveiled at the Art Museum of BJAA on December 21, 2024. The exhibition will specially feature award-winning projects from the Curating Virtual Exhibitions 2024: The 3rd Global College Student Virtual Curatorial Competition. Centered on Qi Baishi’s artistry, the exhibition represents the lively world of the painting master in contemporary China through innovative curatorial visions of college students. This showcase serves as both a heartfelt tribute to Qi Baishi’s accomplishments and an inclusive dialogue bridging traditional culture with modern originality.

--01-
Discover Delight from Ink, Immerse Yourself in Paintings:
Creative Interactions Illuminate Exhibition Experience
 
     Inspired by the artistic world of Qi Baishi, this exhibition applies diverse creative and interactive installations, blending artistic appreciation with playful engagement to usher visitors into the lively world of Qi Baishi.
      
      Transformed into a fish in Qi Baishi’s painting, visitors will glide through rippling “water waves” tracing the master’s artistic career. From the primitive and pictorial Xiangjiang River to Qi’s renowned Peking studio with lingering ink fragrance, visitors will gradually discover the dual essence in his works - meticulous observation of nature and profound insights into human connections. Through such an immersive experience, every element in Qi’s paintings - flowers, birds, fish and insects, landscapes and pastorals, and even his art mottos - is unfolded as a vivid life scroll to visitors.  
      
      The exhibition features a special stamp-collecting activity - Dream Mission, where visitors are gifted an album to collect and decode Qi Baishi-theme chromatic stamps. The exhibition also sets up an interactive game area allowing visitors to freely create based on Qi’s artworks, thus deepening their understanding and appreciation of the artist’s creative process.
 
-02-
Master’s Comprehension of the Innate Wisdom:
Digital Animation Vivifies Artistic Conception

      To honor Qi Baishi’s artistic philosophy of “expressing emotions through painting,” the exhibition employs digital animation technology to revitalize the traditional ink-wash art with dynamic interpretations. On-site installations animate the scenes and fun from Qi’s works - butterflies flutter among blossoms, fish frolick in the lake, while dots, lines, and brushstrokes seemingly breathe with life, bringing visitors a novel art conception that combines stillness and motion.
    
      By transforming static artworks into living narratives, this approach not only extends aesthetic dimensions of classical art but also infuses fresh vitality into the cultural legacy of ink-wash paintings.

-03-
Improvisations Stem from Inspiration:
Harmony between Classicism and Modernism   

      With the curatorial concept conceived and developed by a college student team, this Little Fish Care exhibition is jointly presented with full support from the BJAA and the CAFA. Centered on Qi Baishi’s artistic universe, the curation interweaves the master’s personal memories, artistic philosophy, and emotional landscapes into a cohesive narrative. Through thematic chapters ranging from Childhood Whimsy to Poetic Twilight Years, the exhibition unveils the profound humanity and tender lyricism embedded within Qi’s brushstrokes.

      True to Qi Baishi’s household inscription “improvisations stem from inspiration,” the exhibition redefines traditional culture through the prism of Gen-Z curatorial vision. Digital animations transport viewers into Qi’s ink-wash realms, building them a novel experience dimension, while the curators’ innovative scenography bridges eras through meticulous craftsmanship. This trans-temporal artistic dialogue not only carries forward the artistic ethos of Master Qi Baishi but also demonstrates young curators’ profound understanding and efforts on cultural expression in the new era.

     We cordially invite art enthusiasts to immerse themselves in Master Qi’s world “where masterpieces are endless, and lives are infinite,” and witness the prominent originality of China’s emerging curatorial talents.
    
      We are looking forward to meeting you on December 21!