Abstract

This lecture takes artistic practices in glass and digital media as its point of departure, situating them within broader discussions of creative methods and spatial experience. From an interdisciplinary perspective, it introduces the concept of “Chinese material atmosphere,” drawing on selected works from the speaker’s own practice to explore how such an atmosphere emerges in glass and how it relates to its cultural origins. Placed in dialogue with Buddhist visual traditions, the talk also reconsiders the historical meanings of liuli and glass. Responding to the theme of the exhibition “Inconceivable,”the lecture further reflects on how contemporary art can open new experiential forms and imaginative spaces between material culture and media technologies.

Speaker Bio

Zizheng Zhou is a sculptor and installation artist. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University, and a 2025–2026 Visiting Student at Harvard University FAS CAMLab. His research and artistic practice focus on contemporary sculpture, glass art, and public art. His recognitions include the UCCA Lab Emerging Artist – Best Presentation Award (2022), the Stanislav Libenský Award (2021, 2018), the Zeng Zhuoshao Sculpture Scholarship (2021), the Tomorrow Sculpture Award (2020), and the International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa (2019).

Event Information

• Free and open to the public
• April 3rd (Friday)
• 12:00 – 1:30 PM ET
• This is an in-person event.

Please note

Advanced RSVP required.
The event will be conducted in Mandarin Chinese.