Reading and Screenings

Reading is crucial to promoting the overall academic atmosphere of the Academy. Along with today’s development of digital media, the comprehensive art form of videography also holds a power that cannot be overlooked.

Among traditional methods for obtaining knowledge, reading is the most convenient and low-cost. A book, a pen, and a person will suffice. Of course, when reading it’s best to read the classics, so that one can stand on the shoulders of giants from China and the world, the past and the present, to expand one’s horizon, “look up at the greatness of the universe and gaze out at the diversity of things”. The newest “reading” method of videos is our most direct way of fully understanding the world, yet also the most difficult to engage on a deep level. It requires us to observe, feel, and think with open hearts and minds. Whether through books or videos, we must “read” with inquisitiveness and a thirst for knowledge.

Knowledge and spirit are the body and soul of art, and art without a body or soul is no art at all! Both require reading, observation and contemplation. I do not believe a person lacking knowledge will succeed in his or her field. Without knowledge one can only create a facade on the level of technique, yet even the technique is merely a hollow shell without heart. We must consider, what is the intrinsic power of art? When you seek art with this question on your mind, then you have begun a lifelong journey of improvement.