The Central Academy of Fine Arts – connections to Eastern Europe – histories of realism

Researcher: Dr. Xi XU

The Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing is today the leading art school in China, and it has a strong tradition in French as well as Soviet academic practices. During the socialist period, it was the leading art school to shape socialist realist art in China. The project will therefore combine an investigation of the history of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, of histories of realism at CAFA and other academies, and of the receptions and translations of Eastern European teaching practices, theoretical texts, and artworks. Key issues to be investigated include: Translations of institutional structures, curricula, and materials from Japan, Western Europe, and the Soviet Union; modern Chinese conceptions of the term “realism”; the shaping of artistic genealogies within CAFA and its predecessor schools as well as beyond; how the academy adapted to changes in the political system, crises, and political campaigns; and how legacies of academic and socialist realism were addressed in the reform era.