Online art alliance holds showcase

An online showcase of 108 outstanding creations from art schools around the world kicked off on Dec 30.

The exhibition is the first initiative by an online international community of art schools launched by the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts (SAFA).

The online exhibition, called East or West, is the first project of the new alliance of nine art schools, which includes the San Francisco Art Institute, the Rhode Island School of Design and the Tokyo University of the Arts.

SAFA said that it hopes to initiate a discussion about international collaborations and the development of art education by bringing together creations from these schools.

About 50 people attended the launch and opening ceremony at SAFA, and 433,000 attended the event online.

Professor Song Gang, assistant to the director of the Rome University of Fine Arts, said at the opening that SAFA's success in bringing together nine art schools in Asia, Europe and North America for academic exchanges and cross-cultural communications is of special significance, especially given the current circumstances created by the pandemic.

The concept of "art islands" is especially important, he noted, as each school nurtures its unique artistic ecology and communication between schools will generate new growth that will eventually impact the world.

According to Jin Jiangbo, deputy director of SAFA, the online alliance functions as a communication center for educational resources around the world and facilitates inter-school academic visits, student exchanges and guest lectures.