SYMPOSIUM:
WHOSE
EAST?
WHICH
WEST?
[Venue]
New York University
Shanghai
[Date]
04/25/2025
New York University
Shanghai
[Date]
04/25/2025
Xiang Zairong at the symposium
XIANG ZAIRONG
Xiang’s deep connection to the Spanish-speaking world, in his own words, was shaped “half by fate, half by coincidence.” During his master’s studies, an Erasmus scholarship brought him to the University of Granada—a move he sees as the beginning of a shift in his cosmological perspective: raised within Confucian traditions and holding a BA in English Literature, his encounter with the Spanish language marked a new cultural turning point. Later, during his PhD, another Erasmus program took him to Mexico City, which he describes as the place where his curatorial practice began to crystallize: “Being a curator means learning how to bring things together, how to tell a story, how to create new meaning. Mexico, at least for me, is where everything converged—different temporalities, cultures, and definitions of art. It’s where my literary background and curatorial practice finally found their connection.”
As Xiang reflected on the transregional links, he humorously noted that his journey began with learning Spanish in Andalusia, only to later follow the historical path of the Conquista to Mexico. In Mexico, he observed striking parallels with Chinese artistic practices, citing his longtime friend Abraham Cruzvillegas, whose use of discarded materials reflects a shared instinct for creating under precarious conditions. Having grown up in 1980s–90s China, Xiang recognized a familiar resilience born of scarcity—resonances across time and place that he found remarkable.
Artistic exchange between China and Mexico can actually be traced back to earlier moments, such as the 1956 exhibition of the Mexican Plastic Arts Front at the Beijing Artists’ Association. Xiang particularly highlighted the pivotal figure of David Alfaro Siqueiros—a communist muralist who visited China in the 1950s at the invitation of the Chinese Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. During his visit, Siqueiros delivered lectures on the role of Indigenous traditions in his work. For Chinese artists increasingly disillusioned with socialist realism, his approach offered both aesthetic inspiration and a compelling rationale for turning to local folk traditions rather than adhering to Soviet models. His legacy can be traced in the 1979 murals at Terminal 1 of Beijing Capital Airport, where Chinese artists, shaped by his vision, reintroduced the human figure and elements of nudity into public art.
As a curator, Xiang values respecting local contexts while fostering innovative connections and reinterpretations between artists from different regions. In the exhibition at HKW in Berlin, he staged a dialogue between Chinese artist Huang Yongping and Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén. Huang’s iconic Le Carte du Monde (2000), which visualizes the world as a peeled globe stretched into a serpent-like form, may seem disconnected from the realities of 2022. To revive this "serpent," Xiang incorporated a recording of Guillén’s poem Sensemayá: Canto para Matar una Culebra, a text rooted in Afro-Caribbean ritual, evoking a ceremonial snake-killing through its repetition and rhythm. Xiang values the freedom to forge such cross-cultural alliances and, as a Chinese curator, seeks to challenge the typical focus on Chinese artists, instead promoting a diverse range of voices, including those from Cuba. In doing so, he intentionally leans into the ambiguity of our globalized moment: are we merely replicating familiar models, or can we actively disrupt expectations and generate new forms of understanding?
Marina Camargo at the symposium
MARINA CAMARGO
Camargo works extensively with maps and interrogates their assumed objectivity. Though often regarded as scientific and reliable sources of information, maps are in fact visual narratives shaped by geopolitical, economic, and ideological forces. Highlighting the difference between the sign and what is signified, Camargo’s soft and shifting maps illuminate the extent to which cartography is an act of translation that shapes our understanding of the world in which we live.
The work Distance within Space (2023), commissioned for the Shanghai Biennale, is a magic lantern show in which a light is shone through a standing brass cutout to cast a shadow projection of Shanghai onto the wall. Yet closer inspection reveals that while the brass panel describes the city’s street map, its shadow depicts Shanghai’s lakes and rivers: these representations of the city are closely related but not the same.
(2023)
Shanghai Biennale
2023-24
(2020)
Yao Pengyu at the symposium
YAO PENGYU
Established to promote Spanish culture internationally, the Shanghai Spanish Culture Center – Instituto Cervantes – is supported by the Spanish government and public institutions. Central to its mission is the idea of Hispanidad—a shared cultural space uniting people through language, while respecting the distinct identities of each Spanish-speaking country. At Instituto Cervantes, the artistic collaborations extend beyond established names to include emerging artists whose practices reflect contemporary global trends. As Yao notes, this year’s programming featured a strong focus on women artists, aligning with broader cultural conversations. At the same time, the center remains attuned to the local context—situated on Anfu Road, a hub of lifestyle and pop culture in Shanghai, its curatorial choices are open to influences shaped by the city's cosmopolitan character.
Although Instituto Cervantes has branches around the world, Yao acknowledges that there are still people interested in Spanish who are unaware of the institution. Looking ahead, she envisions expanding partnerships with both public and private organizations to share resources and amplify the center’s reach. “Building a broader platform benefits not only the institution, but the wider public as well,” she says.
Leo Lee at the symposium,
with moderator Victoria de Arvizu
LEO LEE
Lee spent over four years living and traveling extensively across Spain and Latin America, an experience that profoundly shaped his understanding of the cultural and artistic diversity within the Spanish-speaking world. Rather than viewing it as a singular entity, he came to see the region as a complex constellation of distinct national contexts. For instance, discussions around contemporary art in Mexico often intersect with issues such as urban gentrification and the country’s geopolitical ties to the U.S. and China. In contrast, in Chile, the legacies of neoliberal economic policies and resulting social divides play a central role in shaping both artistic production and curatorial approaches. At the same time, he has come to recognize shared concerns between Latin America and China—particularly in the ways artists respond to their own political and economic structures. His ongoing research is rooted in an interest in how communities across the Global South are forging alternative models for development and cultural expression.
Lee’s personal project, Proyecto CELA, can thus be understood as the culmination of both his personal journey and professional experience. Rather than adopting a Western-style model of “by me, for me,” the project emphasizes collective authorship and mutual support: a platform developed “by the community, for the community”. CELA is committed to expanding its network through meaningful partnerships, including potential collaborations with institutions such as the Tanoto Foundation in Singapore, known for its support of Southeast Asian and Latin American artists, and Aranya, which has already presented a solo exhibition by Gabriel Kuri and is deepening its engagement with artists from Latin America. As Aranya prepares to launch a new space in Guangzhou this October with a focus on Southeast Asian practices, it is also building connections with institutions across the region—from the Thailand Biennale to the Museo Reina Sofía in Spain. Lee views these collaborations not only as timely, but as essential steps toward shaping more inclusive and globally responsive cultural infrastructures.