CELA is a research-driven project dedicated to fostering artistic exchange between China, Iberia, and Latin America. It delves into non-canonical and under-represented artistic practices with a Global South focus, seeking to challenge and offer alternatives to the prevailing norms of the mainstream art world.

The website highlights CELA's initiatives, featuring exhibitions, talks, publications, and more, in collaboration with artists, curators, and institutions from these three regions. It aims to enhance access to each region's artistic interests while promoting opportunities for creative practices and exchange.

CELA is a collective effort for and by everyone involved. Below is a list of contributors CELA wishs to thank:

[Director]

Leo Lee, contemporary art consultant with a focus on non-canonical and under-represented artistic practices from the Global South, with a particular emphasis on contemporary art in China, Iberia, and Latin America. His work seeks to offer alternative approaches to the prevailing norms of the mainstream art world.

He has held positions at renowned institutions and galleries across China, Latin America, and the Middle East. He is currently part of the curatorial team at Aranya Art Center and the director of Proyecto Cela.

[Editor]

Chunzi Wu obtained an MA (Research) in Cultural Leadership from the University of Groningen and a BA in Hispanic Philology from Beijing Foreign Studies University. She has cultivated her interests in the creative and cultural industries and her experience spans galleries, museums, and government agencies. Her recent research focuses on creative cities, arts participation, and policy, exploring the role of culture in shaping urban spaces and communities.

Allen Young is a translator working between Spanish, Chinese, and English. He teaches in Humanities and World Languages at New York University's Shanghai campus.

Lucila Carzoglio holds a PhD in Comparative Literature (SHU), is a journalist (TEA), and has a degree and teaching certification in Literature (UBA). She is currently pursuing a Master's in Cultural Management (UOC). She serves as co-editor of Chopsuey, a magazine featuring Spanish-language chronicles on contemporary China. Her work has appeared in various media outlets, including The New York Times, BBC Mundo, Letras Libres, Altaïr, 5W, China Hoy, Brando, Viva, Revista Anfibia, and the cultural supplement of Télam, Argentina's national news agency. She collaborates in the Culture and Press departments at the Cervantes Institute in Shanghai.

Salvador Marinaro (Salta, 1988) holds a Ph.D. in Global Studies and a Master’s degree in Creative Writing. His academic research explores the intersection of public diplomacy, world literature, and the itinerant writers who connected Latin America and China during the 20th century.

He is the author of the poetry collection Sinfonía de mareados (2010) and the short story collection Una tristeza decente (2018). His contributions to literature and journalism have earned him several distinctions, including the Azucena Villaflor Award (granted by the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo), the Incentive Award from the Argentine Academy of Journalism, and the Filosofía Sub-40 Prize for the best essayist under forty. Since 2019, he has been teaching at Fudan University (Shanghai) and co-edits, together with Lucila Carzoglio, the magazine Chopsuey, dedicated to contemporary Chinese culture in Spanish.

Yizhi Zou, an independent curator, member of the YEEZIG curatorial team, and co-founder of Hüten Art Consulting Agency. She holds an M.B.A. from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a master's degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has rich project experience with galleries, non-profit organizations, and private art museums in China and the United States, focusing on the artistic production of emerging contemporary Chinese artists in a cross-disciplinary context.

Julio Panduro holds a degree in Communication Sciences, specializing in political journalism, and a master's degree in Political Science, with a focus on comparative politics. He has over 25 years of experience as a journalist covering politics, international affairs, and human rights, and 15 years of experience in university teaching.

His journalistic and academic articles have been published in Peru, China, and the United States on topics such as immigration, multiculturalism, gender identity, among others.

Shuangqing Li believes in the transformative power of beauty and human connection. Her passion for language, culture, art, and development stems from this. Having worked as a talent development professional in various international organisations including UNDP, ICRC and WEF, she is particularly interested in how thoughtful design and experiences can create empowerment and meaningful relationship. Fluent in Mandarin, English, and Spanish, and proficient in French and Catalan, Shuangqing enjoys bringing people and cultures together. She is also a dancer in Compagnie Nebula, a young musical group in Geneva, where she is rehearsing for their second live show.

Susy Ye, originally from mainland China and fluent in Mandarin, English, and Spanish, has spent a decade living in Spain. Her expertise includes copywriting, corporate communication, content creation, and client services. With a genuine interest in arts and ideas, she brings a blend of empathy, creativity, and cross-cultural collaboration to both agency and in-house communication roles.

Her communications experience spans industries such as aviation, AI technology, international education, healthcare, and games. Notably, during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Susy was part of the communications team for the Chinese region, where she gained valuable experience in planning communications for a global event. She is now pursuing a master's degree in specialized communication at the University of Barcelona.

[Photographer]

Joyce Lanxin Zhao holds a BFA in Film & TV from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She works as a director, editor, animator and photographer. She is especially interested in people’s expressions of themselves, and the connections built and existed between different individuals, thus decided to dedicate herself into documenting and exhibiting the stories of a wide variety of people through her sensitivity in observation and communication.

CELA originated from Archive Hei (2020-2022), a databse that documented the presence of Chinese artists in Spanish-speaking countries and vice versa (view the website by downloading the installation package). The volunteers involved in the project include:

Chen Jinyu
Cui Baihui
Huang Yuejia
Li Jianing
Li Shuangqing
Liu Xiaohui
Tang Shunran
Wang Jue
Wang Yiping
Wu Chunzi
Ye Xiaodan
Yue Qingyu
Zhong Xiyue