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DUT CI Co-HOSTS “Chinafrika”

DUT CI Co-HOSTS “Chinafrika”

The Confucius Institute at the Durban University of Technology recently co-hosted two Symposiums, namely, “Chinafrika” and “Referencing China and East Asia in Southern African Visual Culture”, at Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg.

Over the past three decades, China’s increasing economic integration into the global political economy has included a substantially increased East Asian presence on the African continent.

As with many forms of globalisation, economic interaction has been supplemented by a broad range of social, political and cultural interactions. Within Southern African, these emerging formations can be situated within an academic shift in recent years, in terms of intercultural or cross-cultural encounter and presence, especially since the 1950s (and earlier). The presence of East Asian and Chinese material culture in Southern Africa is substantial, predating by five centuries the current wave of cultural and economic influence in the region.

Under this academic background, to centre on historical connections with East Asian and in particular Chinese visual culture in Southern Africa, as well as to initiate research into the presence of those who have been engaged in visual culture in Southern Africa – those who are either trained artists, educators or who practice (or teach) some form of visual culture (eg design, architecture, tourism related craft production), together with Museum of Contemporary Art Leipzig, SAVAH(South African Visual Arts Historians), VIADUJ (Visual Identities in Art and Design, University of Johannesburg), Leipzig University, and the SA Goethe Institut, Centering on economy, trade, culture, and art (including painting, photography, ceramics, furniture design, architecture, etc.), to name just a few, around 60 academics, scholars and professors from China, South Africa, Vietnam, and other countries in Southern Africa, have exchanged ideas, shared academic or research papers and probed into the prospects of research between Southern African countries and East Asia , especially China.

Altogether 25 presentations were delivered on the two symposiums on different topics regarding the historical connections, artistic exchanges, mutual learning and research achievements, focusing particularly on the visual art and culture, between Southern Africa and China. Six-panel discussions provided a good platform for the participants to usher the delegates’ different voices from various aspects. Delegates exchanged academic findings, invited scholars did not only have a chance to elaborate on their previous research but, also explored into new research areas for the future.

In his address at the Symposium, Dr Eddie Chiabo FU, the co-Dean of the DUT Confucius Institute, said: “these symposiums open up a new window for scholars from varied cultural and academic backgrounds to speak out their different voices. These academic views might be similar, or different in some ways, but most importantly, common sense and positive prospect are the main streams during the two-day conference. The various symposiums have effectively covered the lack of dialogues between scholars from different countries, started new conversations on a wide range of areas, especially on the visual art and culture between China and Southern Africa, and added incredible colours to the newly-launched China-South African People-to-People Exchange Mechanism as well.”

Dr Fu further pointed out that the symposiums also serve as a bridge to connect to prior research in these fields with potential future research, brand new projects between China and Southern Africa. He also expresses his confidence in more fruitful academic findings which will be surely triggered in the near future.

Pictured: CI China-Africa discussions.
Dr Eddie

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