From initially hesitating to make the first brushstroke to gradually bringing vivid scenes to life on canvas, the journey began with Teacher Ning Lei clarifying a fundamental perspective on painting: "Start from the heart and express your true inner feelings." Guided by this principle, each participant created works that were distinctive and shone with their own unique highlights.
This is the essence of art: it is an expression of one's emotions and inner world, born from the heart and poured onto the canvas. What matters is the harmony between emotion and form, rather than a rigid pursuit of whether the artwork looks "exactly like" its subject.
About "One Festival, One Art"Purpose1.To fulfill the mission of promoting and nurturing public aesthetic education through art.
2.To create opportunities for artists and art enthusiasts to engage closely, enabling a two-way exchange of artistic concepts and aesthetic enrichment for mutual growth.
3.To provide hands-on experience for art enthusiasts, allowing them to immerse themselves in the creative process and appreciate the charm of art.
4.To integrate art more deeply into social contexts and collectively build a shared spiritual landscape.
· Original Intent ·Since first venturing into art curation in 2011 and formally registering in 2014, Dechang Art Cultural Institution has been dedicated to advancing art initiatives that align with international trends while remaining rooted in local action. We believe that a city’s cultural vitality
must first be driven by organic, grassroots energy. Short-term activities that exploit culture and art for utilitarian purposes are like fleeting bubbles—they do little to enhance the city’s aesthetic literacy.
For over a decade, we have focused solely on being producers of artistic content, serving both artists and the public. We have planned and implemented numerous large-scale local humanities and art exhibitions—such as Qingdao Narrative: Liyuan and Urban Showcase:
Cultural Three Rivers Artists Joint Exhibition—as well as over a hundred solo and major exchange exhibitions with a contemporary academic focus, including the Qingdao International Art Annual Exhibition.
In 2023, with the generous support of Shandong Yinfeng Home Textiles Co., Ltd., our fully upgraded physical venue—Dechang Art · V Exit Art Museum—officially opened. Spanning over 2,000 square meters of exhibition space, it has reinforced our original vision and determination to “establish an art museum with a clear academic stance.” Though we are aware that the road ahead remains challenging, we have already embarked on this journey and must press forward.
Over the years, whether as curators or as an exhibition venue, one of our greatest challenges has been the gap in perception that arises between the artistic expression of carefully selected artists and works and the audience’s reception—a disconnect often rooted in differing perspectives and levels of expertise. This remains a significant barrier to art’s role in inspiring and enlightening.
As a bridge between artists and the public, the role of art institutions in co-creating public aesthetic education is more crucial than ever. This is precisely why V Exit Art Museum launched the One Festival, One Art public education initiative. Through small-scale, face-to-face interactions, we aim to allow art enthusiasts to engage directly in hands-on creation, experience the charm of art and its fundamental methods, gain a more intuitive understanding of art and artists, and gradually develop and broaden their aesthetic knowledge and critical judgment.
